Beckham has Man Utd takeover plan ready, says Ferdinand

FT Desk

• 29 Nov 2022 17:01 GMT
• 3 min read

David Beckham is ready, willing and able to bid for Manchester United according to his former Red Devils and England teammate Rio Ferdinand.

United were put on the market by the Glazer family ownership recently, with bids from Saudi Arabia, tech giant Apple, and one of the UK's richest men Sir Jim Ratcliffe among those touted.

Beckham may not be as wealthy as any of the aforementioned - even if his personal fortune stands at an estimated €435 million - but the former England captain returning to Old Trafford 20 years after leaving as a player would go down well with large sections of the support.

READ: David Beckham 'open' to role in Man Utd sale

Beckham is already a co-owner of two clubs in Salford City and Inter Miami - the former alongside his former "Class of '92" teammates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil.

The 47-year-old might face significant competition in trying to add the Red Devils to that portfolio, but Ferdinand, who won the Premier League with United alongside Beckham in the 2002/03 season, thinks his former teammate is well placed.

10 billion dollar's worth?

"Becks will come with a consortium," he said on his VIBE with FIVE podcast. "I saw Becks last night at the game [the goalless draw with the USA] … He looked a million dollars, as he normally does. [But] he didn't look 10 billion dollars' worth.

READ: Ranking Man Utd's potential buyers

"But when you mention someone like Becks' name, he's obviously a part-owner of Inter Miami, but he doesn't come alone. It's not his money."

An Apple takeover would make Man Utd the richest club in world football, well ahead of the Saudi Arabia-backed Newcastle, while Nice owner Ratcliffe is a self-confessed fan, but Ferdinand is clear on what bid he would like to see win.

"I think when you look at it, the clubs that are successful over big periods of time have players that have worn the shirt, understand the traditions, understand the history, understand the ethos of the football club and continue that," he said.

"Ajax with Edwin van der Sar, Bayern Munich have [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge in there among others, Real Madrid, Barca - they all do it.