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Saudi Arabia Denies Crown Prince Seeking To Purchase Manchester United Soccer Club

Reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is seeking to purchase the historic Manchester United English Premier League soccer club are “completely false,” according to officials in Riyadh. The denial came after British media claimed the heir to the Saudi thrown was pursuing a $4.9 billion takeover of one of the world’s most popular and profitable sports teams. The bid purportedly was submitted to the Glazer family, which currently owns the club, in October but then progress stalled due to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. Bin Salman is known for his outlandish spending habits, having in 2016 reportedly purchased a superyacht from a Russian oligarch for nearly $500 million. A year later, the crown prince was named by media outlets as the anonymous buyer of a $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting of Jesus Christ, the most expensive piece of art ever sold. Bin Salman has come under fire for the alleged purchases given his implementation of a major crackdown on corruption that was viewed by critics as a power grab in which the state seized over $100 billion in assets.