Manchester United's players
have been offered the chance to invest in the club.
The Sun says United stars were stunned by the handout
request when they arrived back last week from their Qatar training
camp.
Players were handed a prospectus, as owner Malcolm Glazer
attempts to raise a staggering £500million through a bond issue to
refinance huge debts.
A United insider said: "The players don't know what to make of
it, really.
"Most are bemused that the people who pay their wages are
basically trying to find out if they can have some back.
"A few of the lads know a good investment when they see one, but
not too many seem prepared to put their money where their mouths
are!"
United are believed to be offering investors an annual return of
seven per cent on the bonds, which start at £50,000 a block.
But City experts say returns are dependent on continued success
on the field in the years ahead.
The insider added: "There have been people working at Old
Trafford for many years, on low salaries, worried about their
futures.
"Yet now they are being offered the chance to stretch themselves
even further. It's a joke!"