DOHA, Qatar — English soccer’s two most storied teams are suddenly in play.
Manchester United has joined great rival Liverpool in opening its doors to a potential buyout that could be the biggest in sporting history.
Following the sale of Chelsea in May, it sets up the prospect of three of the biggest Premier League clubs changing ownership in just a few months.
Newcastle was also bought by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund last year.
So why this relative, but rapid, flood on to the market?
The acquisition of Chelsea by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital was a unique case, with Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich forced to sell after being sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Vladimir Putin.