David Beckham and Gary Neville lead new £15m Salford City takeover in bid to follow Wrexham into Championship

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The rise of Salford City across the past decade has been phenomenal, but David Beckham and Gary Neville have plans to take the Ammies to even greater heights.

Salford rounded off their League Two campaign in eighth place, finishing just outside the play-off positions by a single point.

It was their sixth successive season of fourth-tier football, but having solidified their place in the EFL, there are ambitions to take the club to even greater heights.

Following the departure of majority shareholder Peter Lim in 2024, part-owners David Beckham and Gary Neville have been seeking investment partners who they believe will give them the best opportunity to succeed on and off the pitch.

Encouragingly for Salford supporters, there appears to have been a breakthrough in negotiations with one US advisory firm.

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Salford City set for £15 million takeover as promotion to Championship targeted

According to The Athletic, Beckham and Neville have joined forces with U.S.-based advisory firm Consello, founded by Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies, chairman of the Lawn Tennis Association.

That duo will co-chair Salford’s board of directors, with the report stating plans to raise $15-20 million (around £15m) to boost the club’s sporting and infrastructural ambitions over the next five years.

Other members of the ownership group include:

• Frank Ryan (Co-chair, co-CEO, Americas Chair, DLA Piper)
• Shravin Mittal (founder of Unbound and managing director of Bharti Global Ltd)
• Nick Woodhouse (executive vice chairman, Authentic Brands Group)
• Colin Ryan (chief strategy and corporate development officer, Qualcomm)
• Dream Sports Group (Indian sports technology company)

While each member will have a 5% or 10% stake in the club, totalling at 80%, none will be involved day-to-day, and they’re currently looking to appoint a chief executive to make the big decisions.

Similar to Wrexham, who are co-owned by Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the League Two outfit are aiming to reach the second-tier within that time frame.

Wrexham won promotion to the Championship last month, sparking scenes of jubilation in Wales, and that is the benchmark the club are looking to follow.

David Beckham using Wrexham’s Ryan Reynolds as inspiration

Beckham, who also owns MLS side Inter Miami, wants to be more involved with the football club and oversee every big decision that gets made.

“I will be over every big decision that’s made and every little decision that’s made,” he said. “That’s what my commitment is to Gary. It’s what my commitment is to the club.”

• READ MORE: Championship fans will loathe Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney’s ‘honest’ statement following promotion

But just like Colchester United, who are close to being taken over by a US-based consortium, Beckham also realises the impact Reynolds and McElhenney have had on the English game.

The Manchester United icon wants to use Reynolds as his inspiration to not just transform the football club but also the city.

“We’ve all been inspired by what Ryan Reynolds has been doing at Wrexham and I’m not saying this is why we’re doing it because it’s not,” Beckham adds.

“But I’ve spoken to Ryan about it so many times now and he said the feeling around the city, the feeling around the club, is so exceptional. That’s the kind of thing that we want to create.”

It also explains why Beckham was pictured watching Birmingham City against Wrexham in September 2024, praising what Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have achieved there.

“Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have done an incredible job with Birmingham. I went to a game a few months back and the atmosphere in the stadium was one of the best I’ve seen for a long time.

“That’s what we want to create. We want to create that community, add to the community and fan base we’ve already got — and then lift it.”

It could be an exciting time for Salford, who have ambitious plans to reach the Championship, with Beckham and Neville at the heart of it.