Former Manchester United midfielder and Inter Miami owner David Beckham has opened up on the Red Devils' ownership situation.
Speaking to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the 48-year-old insisted that the Glazers' time at the club has to end soon. Beckham said with no sense of hesitation:
“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.
The Glazers purchased United in 2005 on a leveraged buyout deal and fans of the team have regularly expressed their frustration with ownership. Back in November 2022, the American family announced that they would look to sell the team.
Currently, two parties have emerged as the frontrunners to take over the club. Qatari politician Sheikh Jassim and British billionaire and CEO of petrochemicals company Ineos Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the likely candidates.
The Glazers are believed to be holding out for a sum of £6 billion for the Red Devils, a fee that would shatter the record for most expensive sports franchise ever.
David Beckham confirms stance on Manchester United takeover talks
Inter Miami owner David Beckham has kept his options open over being involved in a possible takeover of Manchester United.
Speaking to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the former Red Devils midfielder stated that any involvement with the team would mean a lot to him. He said:
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,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?"
He continued:
"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.”
Beckham was part of some iconic United squads under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. With the Glazer family reportedly looking to sell the club, it remains to be seen if the former player will get involved with any of the bids.