Manchester United may rubbish talk of any Saudi Arabian takeover, but the rumours persist – whipped up by seemingly legitimate social media accounts in the Kingdom and by well-read clickbait stories around them.



Any takeover story involving United is big news and there are fans who would like to see this one actually happen.



Current owners the Glazers are unpopular, and have been ever since their controversial 2005 takeover. The highly-leveraged buyout that plunged the club into debt was legal if unethical. A few months after the takeover, I was among the group of United fans who went to Whitehall to air their concerns to the British government. They sympathised with our position but were ultimately powerless to do anything about it.



United have won five league titles and contested three Champions League finals under the Glazers. Ticket prices rose quickly after the American family took over but have been static for the best part of a decade as...