Saudis rule out state play for Man United but want Ronaldo

Saudi Arabia’s sports minister has said that his government would encourage bids for Manchester United from the country’s private sector.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring a penalty for Portugal in Doha. Picture: Getty Images.

Saudi Arabia’s sports minister has said that his government would encourage bids for Manchester United from the country’s private sector but that its public investment fund (PIF) will focus on its ownership of Newcastle United.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal said that Manchester United would be a “good opportunity” but ruled out a state-linked takeover.

United’s owners have said that they will explore alternatives including new investment or a sale.

Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man, is considering whether to bid while the technology giant Apple and several American consortiums have also been linked with a move to invest in the club.

Prince Abdulaziz told The Times: “The PIF just invested in Newcastle and I think we are focusing as a PIF on that. If there is a private investor that wants to come in, why not?

“I think it is a good opportunity and if the numbers add up and we can all benefit from that from a business perspective, why not. If there really is an opportunity that benefits us I would encourage the private sector to do so.”

The prince, who insisted that the PIF was “a different entity and is completely independent” of the Saudi state, added: “Newcastle as a club is benefiting from this purchase and I think Manchester United or any other club would look at these opportunities.”

Prince Abdulaziz was speaking from Stadium 974 in Qatar during the half-time break in the World Cup match between Portugal and Ghana, and said that he would welcome Cristiano Ronaldo coming to play in the Saudi Arabian league.

Ronaldo is a free agent after agreeing to leave United and in his interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV he said he had turned down a £305 million ($546m) deal to play in Saudi Arabia, an offer that is thought to have come from Al Hilal.

“Who wouldn’t want Ronaldo to come and play in their league? He is a role model for a lot of the youth,” Prince Abdulaziz said. “If that does happen I think we can work together to develop football in the kingdom with such an iconic star.”

Saudi Arabia is understood to be in talks with Egypt and Greece about a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup and the prince would not rule out such a proposal, saying he hoped the country could host the tournament in the future.

“We don’t have a bid as we speak, or that we have announced,” he said. “In the future if possibilities do open and there is a good opportunity to host such an event the benefits are big for Saudi and the region.

“We have seen that by Qatar hosting the World Cup in our region, so definitely the future is bright for Saudi and hopefully we can showcase that we can host such an event in the future.

“At the moment we are focusing on bids for the 2027 Asia Cup and the 2026 Asia Women’s Cup.”

Qatar has found itself engulfed in controversy over beer sales and the prince suggested Saudi Arabia would not resist attempts to impose a requirement to allow alcohol.

“I know there are different cultures, different mentalities and different rules and regulations, but I think it is very important for such events to come to this part of the world to bring people together,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia was not deterred by the criticism levelled at Qatar.

“We were criticised in the past for not hosting these events, now we are criticised for other stuff. We have a strategy and a plan and we know everyone in the region is benefiting.”

The prince also said that the Saudi team’s shock 2-1 defeat of Argentina this week would help the country to further establish its credentials in world football.

“It was unbelievable, one of the best results we have had against any national team. As Fifa said, it was one of the World Cup’s most shocking moments, so we are very proud of the team and the determination they showed. We were hoping to just put up a good performance but we never expected to win against Argentina, I’ll be honest.”

THE TIMES