Man Utd takeover: Everything we know as David Beckham approached for UAE role

Manchester United's Glazer family owners sold a minority stake in the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe two years ago, with the British businessman taking over the day-to-day running of the north west giants. But the Red Devils could be the subject of a fresh takeover bid.

United are one of the biggest football clubs on the planet after winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The club have fallen away from their biggest rivals on the pitch over the last decade but have continued to attract plenty of attention in the football world. Rumours of fresh takeover talks were ignited by Saudi sports supremo Turki Al-Sheikh earlier this month. And Express Sport takes a look at what we know so far.

UAE bid

According to the Daily Mail, a consortium based in the UAE are considering making an offer to the Glazer family.

The consortium's plans are said to be at an early stage and may not develop into a formal bid, with United insiders said to be surprised by talk of new investment when the news initially broke.

Any deal could impact Ratcliffe's involvement at Old Trafford, with the Glazer family able to force the 73-year-old to sell his shares from August this year due to a 'drag-on' clause they negotiated when he originally came on board. The aforementioned publication have stated, however, that Ratcliffe has 'zero appetite' to sell his stake in the club.

Meanwhile, the Glazer family would demand £5billion to sell the club, despite the fact United are valued at half that amount on the New York Stock Exchange.

David Beckham approached

The Mirror have reported that the group from the UAE are keen for ex-United midfielder David Beckham to act as an ambassador for their bid. And Beckham would be offered the chance to invest in the Red Devils as part of the deal.

Other United icons, such as Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney, have also been considered as ambassadors by the group.

What David Beckham has said about returning to United

Beckham, who co-owns Inter Miami and Salford City, hasn't been involved in an official capacity at Old Trafford since leaving the club as a player in 2003.

But during an interview with The Athletic in 2023, the 50-year-old explained: "I have a lot going on here [in Miami] 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.

"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."