Not even an international break can keep Manchester United out of the headlines.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe drew plenty of attention earlier this week when he suggested that Ruben Amorim would need three years to prove how good of a coach he is, seemingly ending any speculation over an immediate threat to the United boss' future.
Then Saudi sports chief Turki Alalshikh took centre stage, claiming that United were at "an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor".
That social media post is said to have caught United by surprise, with the club insisting there was no truth to it.
Alalshikh then somewhat backed down, stating in a second post: "My yesterday’s post about Manchester United's potential sale meant one thing: the club is in an advanced negotiation phase with a new investor.
"Just to clarify, I am not the investor, nor are they from my nation. I'm posting this as a fan who wishes the deal to happen, though it might not necessarily happen."
Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia are believed to be in talks with United over a lucrative mid-season friendly, with Ruben Amorim's side potentially even participating in the Riyadh Season Cup.
Playing two matches in that could see them bank around £10million and Amorim has confirmed that the team will use midweek slots for friendlies during the season.
"We have to do it," he said.
"We knew that when we missed Europe, we had to compensate [for] a lot of things, including our fans and the budget. So we are putting [it] all together to do that."
However, any interest in a potential takeover is not believed to be coming from Saudi Arabia. With Newcastle owned by Saudi's Public Investment Fund, that could prove problematic with the Premier League's Owners and Directors' test anyway.
According to the Daily Mail, a United Arab Emirates-based consortium is plotting a potential offer and there is an expectation that former United players would be brought in as ambassadors.
However, no contact has yet been made with the club and plans are still said to be at an early stage, with it possible that a formal bid does not materialise. It is claimed that the key figures in the consortium are not from Saudi Arabia or Qatar.
Last year, a Qatari consortium headed by Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani missed out to Ratcliffe, who bought 27.7% of United from the Glazer family for £1.3billion.
It has been widely reported that the deal included a drag-along clause that came into effect in August.
That allows the Glazers to hold talks with potential investors without Ratcliffe's knowledge and force him to sell if they accept an offer in excess of the $33 a share he paid.
The Daily Mirror report that the Glazers would consider selling United, but only if a bid in excess of £5bn was submitted.
Another option is that the owners sell only a part of their stake in return for significant investment, which could help fund plans for a new stadium.
United want to build a 100,000 stadium close to Old Trafford, though it is expected to cost £2bn and proposals are still at a very early stage.
While that plods along in the background, talk of a takeover has picked up once again. It remains to be seen whether the Glazers' lofty valuation is met, but for now Ratcliffe has been keen to speak highly of the family.
He said earlier this week: "They get a bad rap... but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club."
