CROWN PRINCE DENIES UNITED’S TAKEOVER BID

Saudi Arabia’s media minister dismisses report that Mohammed intends to buy the club

SAUDI Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has denied reports that he intends to buy Manchester United. The crown prince was said to be launching a £3.8 billion (RM20billion) offer to take control of the Premier League club, according to weekend reports.

But the kingdom’s media minister, Turki al-Shabanah, wrote on Twitter: “Reports claiming that HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman intends on buying @ManUtd are completely false.

“Manchester United held a meeting with @PIFSaudi to discuss sponsorship opportunity. No deal has been materialized.”

United’s American owners, the Glazer family, bought the club for £790 million almost 14 years ago.

On Sunday, the British newspaper, the Sun, said the crown prince was in a takeover bid for one of football’s most popular clubs.

The paper said a bid was first submitted in October but the fallout from the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s embassy in Istanbul put the “skids” on a potential offer.

United already have business interests with Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Telecom the club’s official integrated telecommunications partner.

The club also signed a memorandum of understanding with the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia last year to help develop football industry in the country.

The crown prince has shown a big appetite for bringing sporting events to his country over the past couple of years, including motor sport and boxing, while Brazil and Argentina played a football international in Riyadh last October.

Meanwhile, United have been handed a major boost with reports Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard could make a swift return to action.

The in-form pair were set to miss late yesterday’s FA Cup tie at Chelsea after being injured against Paris Saint-German last week.

Caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ruled the pair out for ‘two to three weeks’ after the 2-0 defeat in the Champions League.

But Daily Mirror reports the injuries — a groin problem for Martial and a hamstring issue for Lingard — are not as bad as first thought.

And the pair could even return for Sunday’s huge Premier League showdown with bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.

That would be a major boost for United, who are desperate to dent the Merseyside club’s hopes of a first title for 29 years and boost their own chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.