Bristol City 'held takeover talks' with Alalshikh

Turki Alalshikh denied reports he was to buy Bristol City back in September

Bristol City CEO Tom Rawcliffe has confirmed the club held talks with Saudi sports supremo Turki Alalshikh over investment.

In September, it was reported Alalshikh was close to agreeing a deal to buy the Championship outfit only for the promoter to post on his X account it was "not true".

Bristol-born billionaire Steve Lansdown has been majority shareholder of his hometown club since 1996 but admitted in 2021 he was searching for additional investment, which could mean a full takeover.

"Yes, we had conversations with him [Alalshikh] and we are up for investment but it has to be the right investment," Rawcliffe told a fans' forum on Wednesday.

He added there had been overseas interest from both "US and Middle East-based backers" and reiterated the Lansdown family had a desire to sell the club.

Alalshikh, 44, is a Saudi Arabian government official who is among the most influential people in boxing and has previously owned football clubs in Spain and Egypt.

City fall under the Bristol Sport umbrella which also comprises the Bristol Bears men's and women's rugby union teams and Bristol Flyers basketball.

It also included the women's football team until it was sold in September to American investment group Mercury13.

"It's no secret that we're looking for investment whether that is a minority or majority," added Rawcliffe.

"It's going to happen at some stage but the Lansdown family are not going to be here forever and we've got to prepare ourselves. We don't know what's going to happen in the future.

"At the moment there's nothing imminent, but we are well backed.

"We've had interest from all over the world.

"Predominantly with football clubs and who is buying right now it tends to be US or Middle East-based backers and so we've had interest from both of those, but we haven't come overly close."

After Alalshikh stated he would not be buying Bristol City, sources at Manchester United denied his claims the club was close to securing a new investor, which he later said was not him.