DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is not seeking to buy Premier Leaguefootball club Manchester United, the kingdom’s media minister said onMonday, denying reports and adding that there had only been a meeting withthe Saudi wealth fund regarding sponsorship.

Reports that Mohammed Bin Salman intends to buy the club are “completelyfalse”, the minister, Turki al-Shabanah, wrote on social network Twitter.

He was reacting to reports that the crown prince had sought to tempt theGlazer family to cede control of the club.

“Manchester United held a meeting with PIF Saudi to discuss (a) sponsorshipopportunity,” Shabanah said, adding that no deal materialized.

On Sunday, the British newspaper, the Sun, said the crown prince was in a£3.8-billion ($4.9-billion) takeover bid for one of football’s most popularclubs.