Saudi Arabia sports minister keen on Man Utd & Liverpool investment
By Tom Gott
Saudi Arabia's sports minister has admitted he would like to see Manchester United and Liverpool fall under Saudi ownership after both Premier League clubs hit the market.
The two clubs are both seeking outside investment, with 90min understanding that United could be sold in its entirety as the Glazer family look to end their time at Old Trafford.
As two of the most valuable sports franchises on the planet, there is expected to be no shortage of interest in both United and Liverpool, and speaking to Sky News, Saudi Arabia's sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, expressed his desire to see his country get involved with both.
"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."
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but not seen as government-controlled by the Premier League, already owns Newcastle United and the group are currently in the process of expanding their sporting portfolio, including the hosting of the LIV Golf series.
Additionally, Prince Abdulaziz also confessed that he'd love to see both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi move to Saudi Arabia. 90min understands the former is set to receive offers from two clubs in the Middle East following his departure from Manchester United.
"Who wouldn't want him to play in their league?" Prince Abdulaziz said of Ronaldo. "He's a role model to a lot of young players - him and Messi.
"If they can, I'd love to see them both play in the Saudi league."