Manchester United Reject Reported Bid from Saudi Investor Turki Alalshikh
Manchester, England – Manchester United reportedly rejected an advanced proposal from Saudi sports supremo Turki Alalshikh to acquire a minority stake in the club, according to initial reports that remain unconfirmed by either party. The potential deal surfaced amidst existing restrictions on the club’s ownership structure stemming from Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s partial acquisition last year.
Ratcliffe currently owns nearly 30% of Manchester United, having completed his investment in February 2024.While the Glazer family retains ownership, Ratcliffe has assumed control of football operations. “We’re local, and they’re the other side of the pond,” Ratcliffe explained in a recent interview with The Times’ new podcast, The Business. “That’s a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and as complex as Manchester United. We’re here with feet on the ground.” He further stated, “They come to the board meetings. We sit down and we talk about things.”
The terms of Ratcliffe’s investment include a “drag-on” clause, effective from August 2025, requiring him to sell his stake if the Glazers accept an offer exceeding $33 per share – the price he paid. Ratcliffe acknowledged the clause in a 2024 press conference, stating, “I don’t think we’re going to be taking the legal agreements out of the bottom drawer.”
Recent financial accounts, released last month, detail further restrictions in place until February 2027, including limitations on acquiring another club and paying dividends between the Glazer family and Ratcliffe’s INEOS group. Though, these restrictions include an exception for transactions “in connection with a change of control.”
Ratcliffe has publicly emphasized a positive working relationship with the Glazer family, stating that a scenario where they would instruct him to dismiss a potential manager, such as Amorim, “absolutely wouldn’t happen because it’s just a good working relationship.”
The initial reports regarding Alalshikh’s bid and subsequent denials have left questions unanswered, and clarity on the situation remains pending.
