Saudi state would 'support' Man Utd & Liverpool bids

Manchester United's owners are "exploring strategic opportunities" for the club, which could include selling it

Saudi Arabia's sports minister says its government would "definitely support" private sector Saudi bids for Manchester United and Liverpool.

Newcastle United already has Saudi Arabian owners after a takeover backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund was completed in October 2021.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said there was a lot of "interest and appetite" in United and Liverpool.

He told BBC Sport: "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.

"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?"

More to follow.

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