Saudi Arabia chief eyes Manchester United and Liverpool following PIF Newcastle United takeover

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund led a takeover of Newcastle United last October and now own an 80-per-cent stake in the Premier League club.

And the Saudi sports minister has welcomed further investment into the English top flight from the Gulf state with Liverpool and Manchester United recently put up for sale.

When asked about potential investment in Manchester United and Liverpool, he told Sky Sports: “I hope so, if there are investors and the numbers add up, and it makes a good business. Then the private sector could come in, or companies could come in, from the kingdom."

"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 die-hard fans of these teams in the kingdom. So it would be a benefit for everyone."

The success of Newcastle’s takeover will attract further investment into the Premier League from Saudi Arabia. In the space of a year, The Magpies have climbed from the foot of the Premier League table into the top three under PIF’s ownership.

Interest in Newcastle from Saudi Arabia has grown significantly as a result of the takeover.

“They have done an excellent job,” the Saudi sports minister told BBC Sport. “They still have a long way to go [but] they have brought the right people on board.

“I’m sure they have targets to win the Premier League and the Champions League and so on, because they strive for the best and always bring the best on board, so I think it’s going to be a bright future for Newcastle.

He added: “[The Premier League] is the most-watched league in Saudi Arabia 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 [for another Premier League club], because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.

“If there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”