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Rio Ferdinand has suggested David Beckham is setting up a consortium to buy former club Manchester United from the Glazer family.
United’s American owners confirmed on Tuesday they are exploring the possibility of selling some or all of their shareholding after 17 years at the helm.
Supporters of the Premier League club have long called for the Glazers to sell up due to what they perceive to be a lack of direction and on-field success over the past decade.
United are valued by Forbes at $4.6billion (£3.8bn), which would surpass the £4.25bn Todd Boehly paid to purchase Chelsea as the most lucrative takeover in sporting history.
A number of interested parties are reportedly weighing up an offer, with bids from mega-rich backers in Saudi Arabia an option that has been touted.
According to former defender Ferdinand, fellow United great Beckham — who is a co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami — is among those interested in buying out the Glazers.
“Becks will come with a consortium. I saw Becks at the [England v USA] game; we were sat next to each other,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube show.
“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.
“He comes with a consortium. He comes with people who do have deep pockets who have the ability to go and execute on a deal like that.
“That’s the way he’ll be approaching it, and rightly so. I think it’s going to come down to a number. If you’ve got the number and can produce, that’s what it’s going to be about.”
Having a member of United’s Class of ’92 working in a boardroom position would undoubtedly appease supporters, who have repeatedly protested for the Glazers to step aside.
Beckham spent 11 years with United’s senior side after emerging through their youth ranks, winning the Premier League six times and the Champions League in 1999.
Asked if he would like to see Beckham involved in the ownership, Ferdinand said: “Yeah. Clubs that are successful over big periods of time have players that have worn the shirt.
“They understand the traditions, understand the history, understand the ethos of the football club and continue that.
“Ajax with Edwin van der Sar, Bayern Munich have [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge in there among others, Real Madrid, Barca — they all do it.
“They’ve all got players who have been in and around the football club at some point in their life and they’re back in there working at the club because they understand it.”
