Manchester United did not comment on Monday night about reports that Saudi Arabia is interested in buying the club. It had been claimed that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman - the son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia - is considering bidding for the Glazer family's private shares in United.

Saudi's ruling family have long been linked with a takeover of United and the club have a strong working relationship with the country.

Saudi Telecom are their longest running commercial partner and last year United entered into a "strategic partnership" with the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia which involves United "lending its business and sporting expertise to clubs, sporting authorities and individuals in Saudi Arabia".

The Glazers have earned huge windfalls by selling tranches of so-called 'B' shares that carry no voting rights in recent years but the Americans retain complete control of the club and have always dismissed any idea of a sale in the past.

The reports come at a time of acute political controversy with governments around the world demanding answers from Saudi Arabia after journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Prince Mohammad who has written for the Washington Post, went missing from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago.