Saudi entertainment mogul Turki Al-Sheikh 'interested' in Southampton FC

A Saudi billionaire and close adviser to the country's rulers is reportedly interested in buying Southampton FC as part of a move to invest in England's football leagues.

Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, is said to be interested in purchasing Southampton FC or London-based Millwall FC, according to TalkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan.

Jordan said that Al-Sheikh "likes Southampton," as well as London-based Millwall, although he added that he advised him not to buy the south London club and focus on Southampton instead.

"Southampton, to me, would be the more logical fit - they've got a purpose-built stadium, they've got all the scale," Jordan said.

He also suggested buying Sheffield Wednesday, but the idea was rejected in favour of purchasing a southern team.

The New Arab has reached out to Southampton FC for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The Daily Mail had previously reported that Al-Sheikh was interested in purchasing Millwall, although the club denied such talks were occurring.

As chair of the Saudi entertainment authority, Al-Sheikh has facilitated several high-profile sporting events in the country.

Al-Sheikh, who has an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion, was also the owner of Spanish second division club Almeria until this month, and owned Egyptian club Pyramids from 2018 till 2019.

The initiative would be the latest investment by Saudi Arabia into English football, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund famously buying Newcastle in 2021.

The choice of Southampton FC comes after the team was relegated to the second division of English football after a dismal season in the Premier League, earning 12 points in total - the second worst by a team in Premier League history.

Following their relegation, the club hired Will Still as its new manager on a three-year deal.