David Beckham has been approached by a UAE consortium to back a takeover bid for Manchester United that would require him to sell the Glazers.
Manchester United legend David Beckham has been approached with a new takeover offer at Old Trafford. An unidentified consortium from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is preparing to acquire a majority stake in the club from the Glazer family.
The consortium hopes former England star Beckham will act as an ambassador for its bid given his existing ownership of Inter Miami and Salford City and his global reputation. The group will offer the 50-year-old, who has a net worth of £300m, the opportunity to invest in United.
The former Red Devils midfielder has been prioritized by the consortium as a potential bidder. However, other former players are also being considered, including Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney.
United legend Beckham has criticized the Glazers’ controversial ownership in the past, but the Glazers will only consider offers of more than £5bn for their stake. This figure is more than double the club’s current value on the stock market. The Glazers took control 20 years ago with a £790m deal, but the club is now worth just around £2bn.
read more: Spanish media reports verdict on Marcus Rashford following Barcelona controversyread more: Ruben Amorim rejects Gary Neville’s Manchester United goal: ‘That’s not success’
But American businessmen will demand a hefty premium to cover United’s potential future value increases if they go ahead with plans to build a new state-of-the-art stadium. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos took over the football business in February 2024 after purchasing a 27.7 per cent stake, which has since increased to nearly 29 per cent.
Despite Ratcliffe’s minority buyout, there have been recent rumors that United’s co-owners may be forced to sell Ratcliffe’s stake under the terms of the agreement if the Glazer family decides to relinquish control.
Earlier this month, club officials revealed that club executives were surprised by the acquisition talk. Saudi Arabian sports mogul Turki Al-Sheikh has caused a stir among supporters and United staff by posting a post on social media suggesting United are making new investments.
Despite later clarifying his comments on social media, rumors have continued to heat up ever since.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily Manchester United content from Mirror Football. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Huge Premier League kit and merchandise sale
various
fanatic
Click here to purchase sale items
Fanatics has slashed prices on football kits and merchandise from Premier League clubs including Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and more.
