David Beckham to help save Man Utd? Takeover opportunity discussed that includes stake in the Red Devils - with Wayne Rooney also in the frame

That is according to the Daily Star, who claim an official approach to the Glazer family is being readied in the UAE. Said proposal will be for the majority of shares that the American ownership team currently hold at Old Trafford.

It is claimed that the group in question want Beckham to "serve as an ambassador for their bid". The former Red Devils No.7 - who is already a co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami and League Two outfit Salford City - will be given "the opportunity to invest in United".

Beckham, who formed part of the fabled Class of '92 and made almost 400 appearances for United before heading to Real Madrid in 2003, is not the only Red Devils legend in the frame. If he decides against joining forces with the Middle Eastern consortium, then fellow Old Trafford icons "Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney are also being considered".

Beckham has spoken out against the Glazers before, telling The Athletic in the midst of another takeover saga: "Off the field, as a fan and ex-player, I just want it resolved. There has to be a decision [regarding the ownership]. Whoever is running your club, you want them to be passionate, be involved, make the right decisions, bring in the right players and invest in the club. Because the club does need investment, whether it’s the training facility, stadium, on the field…these kinds of big things need to be made and changes do need to happen, especially when you see the likes of Man City and what they’re doing."

Quizzed on whether the time had come for the Glazers to sell up, Beckham added back in 2023: " 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 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."

United's latest market valuation stands at around £2 billion ($2.7bn). It is, however, claimed that the Glazers would demand closer to £5bn ($6.7bn) from any sale - with future revenue-generating opportunities, such as the proposed construction of a new 100,000-seater stadium, also needing to be factored into the equation.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group were able to acquire 27.7 per cent of United in February 2024, taking over control of football operations. If the Glazers were to agree to part with their controlling stake, then Ratcliffe and co. may also be forced to sell as a complete takeover of the club is agreed.

Turki Al-Shekih, a major player in Saudi Arabian sports, recently claimed that new investors are ready to make a play for United.

Thomas Zilliacus, a former interested party, has conceded that he would like to return to the negotiating table. He told the Manchester Evening News: "Last week, I was sitting and thinking through all the possibilities of investing in Manchester United and drafting a basic plan on how I could approach certain parties to see if something could be done. This is about joining forces with the right parties with the sole aim of bringing Manchester United back to where it should be as the number one club in the world.

"I mean, my love for the club has gone nowhere and I think the opportunity is still there. So I would really welcome an opportunity to talk to the key players and see what can be done. The key players, of course, today, Ratcliffe, then if other parties would be keen to join as well, then that would be great. Some of the investors, I think it's almost everything or nothing, meaning either they own the club alone or they are not interested. So you would have to find the investors who are willing to look at what is best for the club and not what is best for the investor."

The presence of Beckham at Old Trafford would help to get disgruntled supporters back on side - at least off the pitch. On the field, Ruben Amorim remains under pressure to deliver results, with another huge test of his credentials set to be provided when taking in a trip to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool later on Sunday afternoon.