Madrid: Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made inquiries about trying to buy Real Madrid, according to an unconfirmed report on Sunday.
AS said the Abu Dhabi-based billionaire would be prepared to pay one billion euros for the Spanish giants, home to world class players like Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Spanish sports daily did not name its source but claimed: "Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has commissioned representatives to offer the sum (of one billion euros) to buy out the club."
AS added, however, that such a deal would be almost impossible.
Real would need the permission of their shareholding fans to change its legal statutes, which would then pave the way for any deal to go through. Fans of Real vote on the election of most of the board and the club's president.
AS added that a meeting between the Sheikh and Real president Florentino Perez could be held early in 2010. Real are reported to have debts of 327 million euros.
If the plan gathered momentum, it would inevitably start alarm bells ringing for English Premier League side Manchester City, where Italian Roberto Mancini has just taken over following the sacking of Mark Hughes.
The rules of European football's ruling body UEFA dictate that two different clubs cannot have the same owner.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, December 28, 2009, 09:59