Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh has denied rumors that he is in talks with Manchester United over a potential takeover. On Wednesday night, the billionaire suggested the Red Devils were close to agreeing a deal with a new investor. He posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The best news I heard today is that Manchester United are now in the advanced stages of completing a sale deal to a new investor… I hope he’s better than the previous owner.”
His post was shared with his 7 million followers and quickly went viral. It received over 5 million views, 12,000 likes, 3,500 shares, and nearly 2,000 reactions. But on Thursday night, Al-Sheikh clarified his comments. He said: “Yesterday’s post about a potential sale of Manchester United means one thing: the club is in advanced stages of negotiations with new investors. Just to be clear, I am not an investor and they are not from my country. I am writing this post as a fan hoping for a deal to happen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.”
United were surprised by the initial claims. Just before Al Sheikh’s tweet on X, an interview with Sir Jim Ratcliffe was published in which he made no mention of his plans to leave at Old Trafford.
British billionaire Ratcliffe appeared on The Business podcast produced by The Times and The Sunday Times and insisted he would continue to lead United’s football operations. Asked what would happen if the Glazers ordered Reuben Amorim fired, Ratcliffe said, “That’s not going to happen.”
The head of INEOS, which has held just under 30 per cent of United’s shares since February 2024, further commented: “That probably sums it up: we’re local and they’re across the pond.
“It’s a long way to run a big, complex football club like Manchester United. We’re here with our feet on the ground. They (the Glazers) get a bad rap… but they’re really nice people and they’re really passionate about the club.”
Al Sheikh’s social media activity understandably caused a stir among club staff. Ratcliffe also hinted at a long-term strategy, hinting that he intends to continue as director of football operations for the foreseeable future.
“Ruben has three years to prove he is a great manager,” said the 72-year-old. Asked if Amorim would be given three years, Ratcliffe said: “Yes, I would. Three years. Because football doesn’t happen overnight.”
“That’s three years. You saw it with[Mikel]Arteta at Arsenal. He had a miserable first couple of years. We have to be patient. We have a long-term plan. It’s not a light switch. You can’t run a club like Manchester United by just reacting instantly to journalists who abuse you every week.”
