WHAT HAPPENED? The Red Devils legend, who is a member of the club’s fabled Class of ‘92, is currently working as a co-owner at MLS side Inter Miami. He has helped to put a stunning deal in place for Lionel Messi there, but continues to keep a close eye on events at Old Trafford. He has seen the unpopular Glazer family open themselves up to offers, but no deal has been done as a protracted saga drags on through the summer transfer window.
WHAT THEY SAID: Quizzed by The Athletic on whether it is time for American owners to sell up and move on in Manchester, Beckham 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.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe – Britain’s richest man – and Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have led the race for power at United, but Beckham concedes that he could play a part at some stage. Pressed on whether he would like a role behind the scenes a Old Trafford, the ex-England captain 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? 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.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Beckham watched on from afar last season as United brought their six-year wait for major silverware to a close in the Carabao Cup final, and he believes the club are heading in the right direction under Erik ten Hag. The legendary former Red Devils winger said: “It hasn’t been the greatest of times for Manchester United, on the field or off the field. Seeing Erik 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 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. 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, their manager since 2016, whose contract runs to 2025), who I am in awe of. We (United) 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.”
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WHAT NEXT? United are currently in America as part of their pre-season programme – having faced Wrexham, Arsenal and Real Madrid while in the States – and are counting down the days to the start of the 2023-24 Premier League season, which will see Ten Hag’s men open up with a home date against Wolves on August 14.