Nicky Butt believes the price the Glazer family want for their stake in Manchester United would be a major stumbling block to any hope of David Beckham investing in the club. The former Red Devils number 7 has been touted by some as the only solution to more than two decades of leadership from the American family.
Beckham's existing commitments
Beckham already owns a stake in Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, stemming from the expansion-team option he negotiated with the league when he played for LA Galaxy. The 51-year-old, alongside former teammate Gary Neville, is also part of a consortium that owns League Two side Salford.
The ex-England captain would not be able to take ownership in another team in the Premier League or English Football League so long as he has an interest in the Ammies, but would have the financial power and prestige required to front a move for United if he desired.
Glazer valuation concerns
Making a move for the club would not come cheaply. Sir Jim Ratcliffe paid £1.25billion for a 27.7 per cent stake. He, along with the Glazer family, has received a frosty reception from the Old Trafford crowd, who question his credentials.
As poor as performances on the pitch have been, it's the club's hierarchy that has been targeted. Fans have sung: "You can stick your new stadium up your a***", "Sell United and f*** off home", "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c***".
Despite Ratcliffe's investment, the Glazers maintain significant control of the club and included a 'drag-along' clause in their partial sale to the Ineos chief. That means that if the Glazer family wishes to sell, they can also force the British billionaire to part ways with his shares.
It is reported that if a sale is made before February 2027, Ratcliffe will be guaranteed $33 (£24.59) per share, the price at which he purchased his stake. Once that expires, the Glazers can sell regardless of whether Ratcliffe is happy, though United's share price is currently floating between $21 and $22.
Scholes backs Beckham bid
Ex-Manchester United midfielder and Beckham's fellow Class of 92 star, Paul Scholes, reckons that Beckham, who has a net worth of over £1billion combined with his wife Victoria, could be ideally suited. Asked what he thought about the prospect of a Beckham-led takeover being the only answer to the club's current ownership predicament on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes offered his take.
He said: "I don't see why not. If they've got the wealth to do it, he can, if he wants to do it, more importantly. Then, knowing David as we do, he'd probably just sit in the background anyway. If his name was involved. He won't present at games like at Inter Miami, I suppose. These owners haven't worked, and I know Jim Ratcliffe's only been there for two and a half years, but it just hasn't worked so far, has it? We all know what the feeling around the club is about the Glazers, so I'd be open to anybody."
Butt believes that the Glazers' demands could pose an issue. The tough-tackling midfielder reckons the price tag they place on the club could be outdated given what the team will fail to achieve on the pitch.
"The biggest problem you've got is the Glazers will want a piece of the pie, and they're valuing it, correct me if I'm wrong, at about 8 billion now," Butt said. "I don't think right now it's worth 8 billion because they're not going to be in the Champions League next year, the means of commercial rights, so go down that means the players are not as valuable. All that permutation goes down, which makes the valuation a lot lower."
For the moment, the Glazer family are said to not want to sell the club, with no market of investors currently looking to buy a Premier League side. It has been claimed the family are waiting for the right time.
