Man United's takeover truth 'revealed' following stunning claim from Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh

Manchester United owners the Glazer family would reportedly be open to offers for their stake in the club.

Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh claimed on Wednesday night that the Glazers are close to selling the 20-time English champions "to a new investor".

"The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor – I hope he’s better than the previous owners," Al-Sheikh posted on his X account.

According to the Daily Mail, Man United are unaware of any potential takeover talks, with the club unsure where the statement from Al-Sheikh has come from.

Al-Sheikh is the head of the General Entertainment Authority, and he has been instrumental in bringing a number of the world's highest-profile sports events to Saudi Arabia.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased 27.7% of Man United for £1.3bn last year, but the British billionaire would be unable to prevent the Glazers from selling the club after 18 months, under the terms of their agreement.

As a result, 'secret talks' involving the Glazers have not been ruled out.

Man United 'not aware' of any takeover talks amid Al-Sheikh claim

According to the Daily Star, the Glazers, who took over Man United in 2005, would be open to offers in excess of £5bn for the English giants.

The club's current valuation is £2bn, but the Glazers have allegedly taken into account potential future increases in value when choosing their own £5bn valuation.

The Glazer family would reportedly also be open to selling a portion of their stake in order to raise funds to build a new state-of-the-art stadium, with plans announced in March for the new 100,000-seater ground.

However, Man United are yet to receive the required funding for the project.

Ratcliffe took over football operations upon his arrival at Old Trafford, and the INEOS chief has made a number of unpopular decisions since taking over, including making a number of staff cuts.

Ratcliffe: 'Glazers are really nice people'

Ratcliffe recently said on The Business podcast that the Glazers are "really nice people".

"They get a bad rap...but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club," he insisted.

However, Man United fans have continually protested against the Glazer family in recent years, with many unhappy at how the club have been run by the American owners.

As well as off-the-field issues, Man United have seriously underperformed on the football pitch in recent seasons, and their struggles have continued in the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign.

The Red Devils are currently 10th in the Premier League table, and they have already lost four times in all competitions during the current season.