Liverpool and Manchester United could be set to entertain bids from Saudi Arabia’s private sector.
This follows as both clubs’ owners, Fenway Sports Group and the Glazer family, announced an intention to welcome investment and, possibly, a full takeover.
The Middle Eastern nation’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, weighed in on the matter, suggesting ‘there is a lot of interest and appetite’ in the prospect of owning one of football’s biggest institutions.
“From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football,” Dan Roan reported for BBC Sport.
“It’s the most-watched league in Saudi and the region and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.
“We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.
“But if there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”
Amid reports of Apple’s interest in Manchester United, it’s a reality Red Devils fans will understandably have little time for, particularly given that a potential bid from the tech giants would allow them to circumvent the moral dilemmas attached to groups originating from the Middle East.
From our point of view, it’s extremely difficult to see FSG seriously contemplating such interest given the local fans’ clear stance on the matter.
More to the point, the Americans’ interest in leaving behind a positive legacy means we’re far more likely to take into consideration offers from America or other options sans human rights concerns.
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