Manchester United deny holding sale talks with Qatar

English Premier League leaders Manchester United said on Sunday they were not for sale after the Sunday Times reported that Qatar Holding had held talks about a 1.5-billion-pound ($2.39-billion) takeover.

"There has been no approach of any kind to buy the club and one wouldn't be welcome anyway because it is not for sale," a spokesperson said, adding that the newspaper story was wrong.

The Sunday Times reported that the Glazer family, the unpopular American owners of the Premier League club, had held talks with a group, believed to be Qatar Holding.

The report said the talks had floundered because the Glazers valued the Old Trafford club at closer to £2 billion.

The Glazers bought Manchester United, one of the most famous soccer clubs in the world, in 2005 for some £790 million against a wave of protest from fans who feared they would load it up with debt.

No one from Qatar Holding was immediately available to comment.