Football rumours: Manchester United could be bought by Amazon or Meta

What the papers say

Interest and speculation is mounting over who will become the new owners of Manchester United, with The Times reporting that tech and social media giants Amazon and Meta could be interested.

The Daily Telegraph reports Sir Jim Ratcliffe will bid for United. The billionaire declared his interest in doing so in the summer when rumours surfaced, and a source has told the paper that will now come to fruition. The paper also writes that the Glazers are looking for a price “comfortable in excess of £5billion”.

The Financial Times adds that David Beckham is “open” to holding talks with potential bidders for United amid speculation about potential consortiums to buy the club.

And Cristiano Ronaldo, just released from Old Trafford, is reportedly unlikely to be swept up by Chelsea as a free agent, according to The Sun. The club was previously linked with the superstar 37-year-old.

The Mail adds that United have not yet decided if they will replace the forward permanently in January or hold off until the summer, instead use a short-term loan for the rest of the season.

Social media round-up

Players to watch

Konrad Laimer: German tabloid Bild reports Chelsea and Liverpool are set to miss out on their target as the 25-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder wants to join Bayern Munich.

Charles de Ketelaere: TeamTalk writes Leeds have contacted AC Milan over the status of the 21-year-old striker.