David Beckham says an ownership change is needed at Manchester United and a future role at the club would “mean the world” to him.
The Inter Miami co-owner and Old Trafford legend wants to see an end to the drawn-out takeover process which has been going on since the Glazer family – who indicated they could sell in November – took offers from groups led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy United.
When asked in an interview with The Athletic if it was time for the Glazers to leave, he said: “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.”
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The Athletic’s David Ornstein gives greater insight into his interview with David Beckham and why he thinks the Glazers should sell Manchester United
Reflecting on the relative struggles his former club have been through in recent years, compared to the success United had during his time in Manchester and in the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Beckham says serious investment is now required to return the team to the very top.
“It hasn’t been the greatest of times for Manchester United, on the field or off the field,” Beckham said. “Seeing [head coach] Erik ten Hag come in is a breath of fresh air. He has had some tough decisions to make but he has done it in the most elegant way and in a way where he has got the fans on his side.
“Off the field, as a fan and ex-player, I just want [the takeover] resolved. There has to be a decision. 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.
“It’s not just about what they’re winning. You can see that Man City are building for the future, not just from season to season. They’ve got stability with Pep Guardiola, who I am in awe of.
“We were the top of the tree, we were winning everything, the ones who were successful, the ones where the players wanted to come. Luckily, we still have that Manchester United pull that existed when I went there. We want that back and the sooner a decision can be made, the better.”
Beckham has been celebrating the arrival of Lionel Messi at his MLS club this month and, while his attentions remain very much on Inter Miami, he accepted a role at United in the future would be hard to turn down.
Man Utd bidder Sheikh Jassim and David Beckham
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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