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Manchester United icon David Beckham has reportedly been approached to be the face of a new takeover bid at Old Trafford. An undisclosed consortium from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is preparing to make an offer for the Glazers' majority shares in the Premier League club.
The consortium is keen on having former England captain Beckham as an ambassador for their bid, capitalising on his global fame and existing ownership stakes in Inter Miami and Salford City. The group plans to offer the 50-year-old, who boasts a net worth of £300million, an opportunity to invest in United.
Beckham, a former Red Devils' midfielder, too, is the consortium's top choice to lead the bid. However, other ex-players, including Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney, have also been considered.
United legend Beckham has previously criticised the Glazers' contentious ownership, but they would only entertain offers exceeding £5billion for their stake. This figure is more than double the club's current stock market value.
The Glazers assumed control two decades ago in a £790m deal, with the club's current value standing at approximately £2bn, as per reports from The Mirror.
However, the American businessmen would require a substantial premium to account for any potential future increase in United's value if the club proceeds with plans to construct a new state-of-the-art stadium. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Group took over the club's football operations after acquiring a 27.7 per cent stake in February 2024, which has since then grown to nearly 29 per cent.
Despite Ratcliffe's minority takeover, recent murmurs suggest that the United co-owner may be forced to sell his share due to a clause in an agreement with the Glazers, should they choose to relinquish their controlling shares.
Earlier this month, insiders at the club revealed that the club's top brass were caught off guard by takeover chatter.
Turki Al-Sheikh, a high-profile figure in Saudi Arabian sports, sent shockwaves through the ranks of United supporters and staff when he hinted on social media that the club was on the brink of new investment. Even though he later clarified his comments on social media, the rumour mill has been churning non-stop ever since.