Mega-rich Saudi Arabian businessman Turki Alalshikh, who is the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and is in control of some of the biggest fights in the boxing sphere, including last year’s heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and his team are reportedly preparing a big-money offer to buy, and takeover, a club in the Championship.
As England’s second tier continues to grow in popularity, the boxing supremo is actively exploring the possibility of purchasing a team in England. Earlier in 2025, there was speculation over the 44-year-old completing the takeover of Millwall after he commented on a post on the club’s social media.
Shortly after, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan – who now works for talkSPORT – claimed that a deal with Millwall had legs. “No, it’s not talk, they are interested because they’ve told me,” he said before adding: “I’ve told him and tried to talk him out of Millwall because I don’t think it’s a proper football club, but there’s a different discussion. But it is Milwall, and he likes Southampton.”
Boxing Supremo Alalshikh Preparing Bid for Take Over Championship Outfit
Elsewhere, Jordan also advised Alalshikh to buy Sheffield Wednesday, who are currently 23rd in the table and remain winless in their 2025/26 Championship campaign. However, a takeover of The Owls is off the cards as he wants to invest in a club in the south, according to the aforementioned Jordan, who said: “He doesn’t want Sheffield Wednesday.
“He doesn’t want a club in the north. He wants a club in the south. And Millwall and Southampton are the two clubs that he thinks are interesting to him. It’s not me breaching confidence – he asked me to say that.”
Boxing’s biggest dealmaker Alalshikh, who has also gone into business with UFC decision-maker Dana White, as alluded to, is keen to invest in a football club in England – and sleeping giants, Bristol City, have reportedly been identified. That’s according to journalist Alan Nixon, who covered the news via The Sun.
As one of the most in-form sides in England’s second tier, Bristol City – who, at the time of writing, are yet to lose in their first five matches (W3; D2) – are an ideal team to takeover and Alalshikh has plenty of cash that he’s willing to cough up.
At the moment, the Ashton Gate faithful are owned by the hyper-wealthy Lansdown family. Under their steady ownership, the club have redeveloped their ground and remained in the Championship for a decade.
Steve Lansdown, who became Bristol City chairman in 2002, has invested £280 million of his own money into the club and in February of this year, he played down any talk of a potential takeover. “We’re not close,” he said. That said, he did say in 2022 that he was keen to welcome new investors to allow the club to progress.