David Beckham makes Man Utd takeover hint after calling for the Glazers to leave

David Beckham has suggested he is willing to be involved in a potential takeover of Manchester United after calling for the Glazers to sell up.

The protracted sale of United is now into its ninth month and looks unlikely to be completed before the start of the new Premier League season.

Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted several offers for the club, with his fifth and final bid believed to be worth around £5bn - with a further £1bn of investment pledged.

He faces competition from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who unlike Sheikh Jassim – who is trying to buy 100 per cent of the club – is only looking to take a controlling stake of more than 50 per cent.

Raine, the American banking group which is handling the sale on behalf of the Glazers, is yet to confirm if a bid has been successful, or even name a preferred bidder.

The delay has led to speculation that the Glazers are considering other options, including selling a minority stake in the club to investment groups while retaining overall control.

Former United and England midfielder Beckham, who is now co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, believes it is the right time for the Glazers to sell.

"It hasn't been the greatest of times for Manchester United, on the field or off the field," Beckham told The Athletic. "Seeing Erik [ten Hag] come in is a breath of fresh air. He has had some tough decisions to make but he has done it in the most elegant way and in a way where he has got the fans on his side.

"Off the field, as a fan and ex-player, I just want it resolved. There has to be a decision [regarding the ownership].

"Whoever is running your club, you want them to be passionate, be involved, make the right decisions, bring in the right players and invest in the club. Because the club does need investment, whether it's the training facility, stadium, on the field… these kinds of big things need to be made and changes do need to happen, especially when you see the likes of Man City and what they're doing.

"It's not just about what they're winning. You can see that Man City are building for the future, not just from season to season. They’ve got stability with Pep [Guardiola, their manager since 2016, whose contract runs to 2025], who I am in awe of.

"We were the top of the tree, we were winning everything, the ones who were successful, the ones where the players wanted to come. Luckily, we still have that Manchester United pull that existed when I went there. We want that back and the sooner a decision can be made, the better."

When asked if he believe the Glazers should now sell, Beckham added: "I think so.

"I think it's purely because the fans want it. Once you lose the fans, especially at a club like Manchester United, it's hard to get them back. Obviously, they (the Glazers) have achieved a lot, and financially, the fact we're even talking about the numbers of what Manchester United will sell for shows the success they've had. But there needs to be change. We've all seen that, we all know that."

Beckham went on to suggest that he could be willing take up a new role at United or potentially even invest in the club, but said his immediate focus is on Inter Miami.

"I have a lot going on here at the moment and my focus has purely been on Miami and everything that goes on in my business," he added.

"But I haven't been approached and I suppose any involvement with Manchester United would mean the world to me, going forward. But who knows?

"We'll see what happens in the next few weeks or months. Hopefully, a decision gets made and if I'm involved in any way… if not, I'll be a United fan and just do what all the other fans are doing — turn up and watch our team."