London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

Saudi Arabia wants its investors to own Manchester United and Liverpool

Saudi Arabia wants its investors to own Manchester United and Liverpool

Sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal revealed the country's latest sporting ambitions in an interview with Sky News - with the sovereign wealth fund already owning Newcastle and now funding a breakaway golf series.

Saudi Arabia says it wants its investors to take over Manchester United and Liverpool – and hopes Cristiano Ronaldo comes to play in its domestic league.

Sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal revealed the country's latest sporting ambitions in an interview with Sky News - with the sovereign wealth fund already owning Newcastle and now funding a breakaway golf series.

It is the availability of United - after the Glazers announced plans for a potential sale - and Ronaldo that is interesting Prince Abdulaziz.

He would be keen on Ronaldo signing for a Saudi Pro League after the World Cup, with the 37-year-old a free agent following a fraught departure this week from United.


Saudi Arabia fans cheer during a World Cup match against Argentina.

"Who wouldn't want him to play in their league?" Prince Abdulaziz told Sky News. "He's a role model to a lot of young players - him and Messi."

The vision would see the Saudi league featuring both Ronaldo and Messi, who is still signed to Paris Saint-Germain but is already signed up to promote Saudi Arabia.

"That's benefited a lot in terms of tourism for the kingdom," Prince Abdulaziz said. "If they can, I'd love to see them both play in the Saudi league."

Newcastle was bought by the Saudis last year through the Public Investment Fund, which the Premier League claims is not controlled by the government despite being headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Now two other Premier League clubs are on the market - Liverpool and United - and the sports minister wants either - or both - to fall under Saudi ownership.

"I hope so, if there are investors and the numbers add up, and it makes a good business," he said. "Then the private sector could come in, or companies could come in, from the kingdom."

He added: "The Premier League is the best league in the world. Everyone's watching the Premier League. It's the most watched league and there are diehard fans of these teams in the kingdom. So it would be a benefit for everyone."

"I can say that we have a strong league. It's not one of the strongest in Asia. You know, we're building towards a better future. And we see how the future holds up for that."

He continued: "And you know, I heard about these speculations in the news, as everyone else. I don't have any details about any of the reports that have been coming out. But you know, what I can say is that we have Messi as an ambassador for tourism in the kingdom with the ministry of tourism - and that's benefitted a lot."

He went on: "In terms of tourism for the kingdom, if they can, I'd love to see them both play in the Saudi League, and, you know, if top players come into the Saudi League and play that will reinforce the programmes that we're doing.

"It will showcase that, you know, the league is stronger to showcase that there's potential for the youth to admire for the future."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
×