Saudi Crown Prince considering making €10 billion offer to buy Barcelona – report

In a major development, it appears Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman might be interested in buying a stake in Barcelona.

According to El Chiringuito’s Francois Gallardo, the Saudi Crown Prince is ready to make an offer worth €10 billion to buy Barcelona.

This will go in line with Saudi Arabia’s strategy to make further inroads into sports, either through direct investment or through the Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

€10 billion to buy Barcelona: A feasible offer?

Gallardo points out that Barcelona have a debt of over €2.5 billion that will be difficult to pay off.

Taking that into account, the Saudi Crown Prince is ready to make a €10 billion bid to buy Barcelona, which will theoretically grant him total control of the club.

However, such a deal is not possible, at least for clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, which are run by socios.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is interested in buying Barcelona. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

Barcelona as an entity is owned by its socios or members, who would never allow the club to be acquired by a foreign entity. This is something that is highlighted by Gallardo as well.

Although the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund can technically invest in Barcelona if the club splits its entertainment arm, that won’t allow PIF to gain control of the club’s day-to-day operations.

A similar strategy is reportedly being considered by Real Madrid, with Florentino Perez open to splitting the club’s entertainment arm and footballing arm, and allowing offers for investors to invest in the entertainment arm.

This could be the only way the PIF can invest in Barcelona as well. But apart from that, it is almost unimaginable for Barcelona to be fully acquired by a foreign entity, let alone PIF.