3 EFL takeovers Turki Alalshikh should consider ft Cardiff City & Preston North End | OneFootball

Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh is on the lookout to take over an EFL club

Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh is actively looking to take over an EFL team.

The boxing promoter has been extensively linked with a deal to buy Bristol City in recent times, but took to X to personally quell those rumours, despite Simon Jordan revealing that it was once a realistic prospect.

He was also touted with a move to save Sheffield Wednesday from current owner Dejphon Chansiri, but nothing materialised in that aspect, with the Saudi sports mogul said to be more interested in purchasing a club in the south of England.

Turki Alalshikh is rumoured to be worth £2.14 billion and has helped bring sports such as boxing, MMA, WWE, Formula 1 and LIV Golf into the Saudi Arabia sporting calendar as a government official.

Given the Saudi billionaire’s eagerness to take over an EL club, he will likely be assessing a whole host of options that could provide him with that opportunity, and he already has footballing experience due to his previous ownership of Spanish outfit Almeria and Egyptian club Pyramids.

Here, Football League World takes a look at THREE outfits Turki Alalshikh should be considering investing in within the EFL.

Millwall FC

Turki Alalshikh has been linked with Millwall FC earlier in 2025, and may be tempted to reignite their interest when looking to take over an EFL club.

The Saudi billionaire has previously gone on record to state that he is looking to buy a team situated in the south of England, which means that the Lions fall in the perfect location.

Owning a side in London would be an extremely attractive prospect to the boxing promoter, especially one that has regularly competed towards the Championship play-offs in recent times.

Although a move didn’t materialise in the past, Millwall seems a brilliant bet for the Saudi billionaire to take over - but there seems to be a clear plan in place at The Den under the long-serving Berylson family when it comes to selling big assets and re-investing into young talent, so a deal may not be welcome right now.

Cardiff City

Cardiff City were heavily linked with a takeover this summer, with interest from a consortium led by Gareth Bale confirmed by the Welshman.

That didn’t materialise in the end, with current owner Vincent Tan holding firm over his requirements to relinquish control of the Bluebirds.

Turki Alalshikh could swoop in and beat Bale to the punch by offering Tan exactly what he wants to sell Cardiff.

Being the capital city of Wales and with great transport links to prominent areas of England, Cardiff is an extremely attractive option for the Saudi billionaire geographically.

Despite currently operating out of League One, the Welsh outfit have played Premier League football on multiple occasions over the past 15 years and are still one of the EFL’s biggest clubs.

With an ambitious owner such as Turki Alalshikh, Cardiff City could shoot back up the Football League and back into the top-flight. If the boxing promoter can strike a deal with Tan, taking over the Bluebirds might be one of his best bets.

Preston North End

Although Preston North End don’t fit the bill geographically, they could still be an interesting option for Turki Alalshikh to consider.

PNE director Peter Ridsdale has been open about the Hemmings family’s willingness to sell the club to the right buyers, which means that there wouldn’t be any complications over convincing current owners to cash in for the right price and deal.

The Lilywhites present stability, having operated out of the Championship for over a decade, and appear to be a club on the up under Paul Heckingbottom based on early season results.

North End’s recent sponsorship with TikTok sensation the Spud Brothers has boosted their profile globally, with fans coming from different countries already to watch them play at Deepdale.

This would be an extremely attractive element for the Saudi billionaire to consider, with any extra publicity via social platforms an increasingly important factor in his decision-making.

Although not a side in the south of England, Preston North End could be just the club Turki Alalshikh should be looking to takeover.