David Beckham’s ‘Role’ in Man Utd Takeover Revealed as Offer Emerges
A group of billionaires want to buy Manchester United and want David Beckham to front their bid, reports claim.
The 13-time Premier League winners are still primilarly owned by the Glazer family but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS own 28.94% after increasing investment in December 2024.
Ratcliffe and INEOS control all football operations but recently, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, sent United fans into overdrive when he said he had "heard" news of potential new investment in United being close.
Taking to X, he wrote: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor – I hope he’s better than the previous owners."
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The Saudi boxing chief clarified the situation in a second statement, writing: "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." but now, according to The Mirror, UAE (the United Arab Emirates) billionaires are said to be planning a mammoth proposal to purchase the Old Trafford club.
What would Beckham's role be?
It's claimed that a consortium want to make an offer controlled by the Glazers and they want to have former players involved.
Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney have been considered as potential ambassadors for the bid but it's understood that Beckham, with his innate global appeal, is the preferred candidate.
Beckham has stakes in MLS franchise Inter Miami and League Two outfit Salford City but will be offered the opportunity to invest in former club United, whom he played for 394 times and scored 85 goals between 1992 and 2003.
Still a passionate supporter of United more than 20 years after his departure, Beckham has been critical of the Glazers ownership on occasion.
The US family, who remain incredibly popular with United supporters, are believed to be demanding a fee of £5 billion - £3 million more than United's estimate worth - to sell up.
In November 2022 the Glazers announced they were exploring options with United and were open to a partial or full sale.
Ratcliffe won the bidding, beating off competition from Sheikh Jassim of Qatar - who eventually withdrew from the race after being put off by the Glazers' valuation.
Asked about a possible return in 2023 when Qatari banker Jassim was pushing to buy United, Beckham told The Athletic: "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."
He had a previous ambassadorial role for the Qatar World Cup in 2022, with the deal said to be worth £125 million.
Topics: David Beckham, Man Utd
Josh Lawless