Will MU change ownership again?

10/10/2025 07:48:00 GoalGuru

A ray of hope emerges for MU supporters as billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh has expressed interest in potentially taking over the ownership of Manchester United. Could MU see a chance to transform its future?

For those wanting to know about Al-Sheikh: The 44-year-old man is a member of the Saudi Arabian government, holding the position of Minister of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). He was the owner of Almeria, a Spanish football club, from 2019 to 2025.

What makes him stand out? A recent post from him on social media platform X said: "The best news I’ve heard is that Manchester United is in the final stages of completing a transfer to a new investor. I hope he will be better than the previous owners."

It is still unclear whether this statement from Al-Sheikh is a revealed secret or just an unverified personal claim. However, MU is considering playing friendly matches in Saudi Arabia during the mid-season break, potentially earning up to £10 million, which is £2 million more than what they earned from two end-of-season tours in Malaysia and Hong Kong (China) last May.

One possible scenario is Ruben Amorim’s team taking part in the Riyadh Season Cup alongside two top Saudi Pro League teams: Al-Nassr, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, and Al-Hilal. If MU only wants one match in the Middle East, they have two options: playing one match against the Saudi All-Star team, as PSG did in January 2023, or organizing a mid-season training camp in Riyadh followed by one match against a Saudi Pro League representative (most likely Al-Nassr). Both options would bring MU a minimum of £5 million.

Will MU change ownership if Al-Sheikh is ready to make a full purchase deal?

Regardless of the option MU chooses, they will have the opportunity to fill the gap of not playing any midweek matches until their Premier League game against West Ham in early December. This is a consequence of Amorim’s team missing out on continental competitions and their loss to lower-league side Grimsby in the second round of the League Cup.

Last year, the Glazer family agreed to sell 27.7% of MU shares to Sir Jim Ratcliffe for £1.25 billion after rejecting a full takeover offer from Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani of Qatar. However, in May this year, the Glazers activated a drag-along clause. This means if the Glazers find a suitable partner for a full sale of MU, they can force smaller shareholders like Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to sell their shares at Old Trafford. So far, billionaire Ratcliffe has not shown any intention to leave his role at Old Trafford, despite Amorim’s team’s results showing no signs of improvement.

That said, this does not mean the door is wide open for Al-Sheikh to buy the club. Ratcliffe recently told The Times that his relationship with the Glazers is still very good. The billionaire himself has also committed to investing £250 million in MU, including £50 million for upgrading the Carrington training ground. MU has no shortage of partners willing to buy the entire club, but how to shake the thoughts of the Glazer-Ratcliffe pair remains a different issue.

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