Michael Knighton pleads for Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson to back audacious takeover bid | Football | Sport
Michael Knighton has called for Sir Alex Ferguson to push for the Glazers to sell Manchester United. The coveted former manager was at the helm of the side when the American family took over and he is yet to voice his view on whether their tenure should conclude.
Protests are expected from United fans on Monday night at Old Trafford ahead of their match against Liverpool, with supporters tired of how the side are operating. They have lost their opening two games of the season to Brighton and Brentford, and there have been no signs of any real improvement.
Fans are calling for the Glazers to sell their club, and Knighton believes that Ferguson should speak out against the ownership. Speaking at the Royal Academy of Arts, he said: “I call out Sir Alex Ferguson and I call out David Gill.
“I also call out Michael Edelsen, who was a director when I spent three years on the United board, and chairman Martin Edwards used the blueprint I put forward to begin the transformation of the club into the powerhouse it became.
He continued: “Ferguson only has to look at where the team are in relation to (Manchester) City and Liverpool. Look at Old Trafford. One of the most iconic stadiums in the world, in such a state of disrepair that it’s an embarrassment.”
Knighton has put together a consortium, though he feels that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the most likely candidate to be capable of providing the significant fees required for a takeover. He added: “My consortium doesn’t have the funds to do what needs to be done. You’re talking £2.5billion to buy the club, £500million to pay off the debts, £700million to renovate Old Trafford and another £500million to invest in the team. “We would need help – and that’s why I’ve been smoking out Sir Jim over the last six months.”
