Shares purchase shows United going green

BOOTS may be flying in the Manchester United dressing room but the club’s shares are moving even quicker and starting to turn green.

Unfazed by Beckham’s grazed eyebrow, Dublin business tycoon Dermot Desmond has snapped up a 2.5% stake in United and triggered talk of an Irish takeover.

The world’s biggest club is now in the grip of a green wave with the Coolmore duo of JP McManus and John Magnier already owning 8.6% of United.

This make’s the Irish pair the second biggest shareholders at United behind BSkyB.

Last year allies of the Magnier and McManus alliance said the men were putting together a strategy to take power at Old Trafford.

The arrival of Desmond on the scene might just be the final move in the greening of the Red Devils.

Desmond who is good friends with McManus and Magnier recently bought 6,000,000 United shares, valued at €1.69 each, on the London Stock Exchange.

His purchase clears the way for the Irishmen to take a firm grip on the club. All that stands in the way is BSkyB which has no plans to offload its 10% stake.

However, if Desmond, Magnier and McManus join forces they will have more than 11% ownership of United between them.

Already Desmond controls Glasgow Celtic and it is believed that he would enjoy a similar role at Manchester United.

Billionaires McManus and Magnier have always said they’d like to buy a bigger stake in the club.

Desmond will also need the support of Scottish businessman Harry Dobson, whose company Mountbarrow Investments owns 6.5% of United.

Already the Irish billionaires have close ties with United manager Alex Ferguson through racing.

And they have also established links with Shareholders United, the influential United fans pressure group.

It’s understood the successful businessmen believe major changes are needed at Old Trafford to turn United into a really dominant European team.

The pair act through the Cubic Expressions company, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

A €918m bid by BSkyB to buy United was blocked four years ago by the British Monopolies Commission.