Conor McGregor promises to do ‘big things’ if he buys Manchester United

Talk of the fighter’s involvement comes as supporters protest against the current club owners

Conor McGregor says he would do “big things” if he were to buy Manchester United, suggesting he is keen to buy a sports team in the future - but noting other possibilities exist outside of the Old Trafford club.

Manchester United’s present owners, the Glazer family, have been the target of ongoing protests from the fans.

Most notable was their invasion of the pitch last week causing the postponement of United’s fixture against Liverpool, but fans have continued their protests since then by telling club sponsors they will boycott their products and “tarnish” their brand names until they discontinue any associations with the Red Devils.

The aim of the supporters is to drive the Glazers to sell up - with McGregor putting himself forward as a potential buyer recently.

After an initial tweet sent in late April saying he was “thinking of buying” United, McGregor was asked a follow-up by a fan on a Q-and-A session as to whether he was “actually going to buy” the club.

McGregor explained that the possibility which actually arose was to take a stake in Celtic, leading to thoughts elsewhere which he hopes to act on in the future.

“A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest. To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond,” he replied.

“I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage! Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club.”

There was no indication or further detail from the UFC fighter as to how such a takeover bid might be arranged, though it seems unlikely he would be able to do so alone.

McGregor’s net worth is estimated at between £120-£180 million, with some reports suggesting it might be considerably higher - up to £300m, depending on valuations of certain sponsorships and endorsements, and his other business ventures.

Even so, this falls enormously short of Forbes’ recent valuation of Manchester United, which was $4.2 billion - or £3 billion.

As such, any serious intent would likely mean McGregor required the financial power of a consortium or other investment vehicle, of which he might only hold a relatively small stake.

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United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for future protests to retain a civilised approach, while a United fans’ Trust have sent an open letter to the club with demands laid out to prevent further protests.

On the pitch, the Red Devils beat Aston Villa at the weekend but face two more games in quick succession, with a top-four clash against Leicester on Tuesday followed by the rearranged game with Liverpool on Thursday.

Solskjaer has already stated he plans to rotate his team heavily to protect them from the rigours of the schedule, with a Europa League final on the horizon.