Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are set to complete a takeover of Salford City within days in a move that may see the club renamed Salford 92 and Paul Scholes appointed manager.
M.E.N. Sport revealed last month that the pair of United legends were in talks to buy the non-league outfit last month.
We have now learned that the deal is expected to be signed off shortly – with a target of Championship football within 15 years part of an astonishing masterplan.
Scholes is already heavily involved in the project along with Phil Neville and Nicky Butt and will be part of talks next month aimed at staging first-team games at the AJ Bell stadium rather than at their Moor Lane home.
He is expected to take over as boss as they approach league status.
It is also understood that talks, to bring players from levels as high as the Conference North to the eighth-tier Evo Stik Division One North club, have taken place.
Players from Stockport County are among those thought to have been targeted as the group plan to steamroller their way through the non-league pyramid.
A number of predominantly local businessmen have already been approached for backing and presented with a prospectus from the members of United’s famous Class of 92, which brought unprecedented success to the Reds.
View gallery It is understood Scholes will speak to Salford council and Peel Holdings about a deal that would see the club play on the training pitch at the side of the stadium they own, which is currently home to Sale Sharks, Salford Red Devils and United Reserves. That potential agreement would also see a friendly played at the ground in which many of those involved could come out of retirement and put on their boots again.
The source said: “They see this as a huge project and see no reason why a city the size of Salford should not have a football league club. They are already speaking to players from leagues as high up as the Conference North with a view to signing them next year.
“They are selling them a dream, telling them they want Championship football within 15 years and that Paul Scholes will become the manager when they go full-time.
“They’re also saying that they will change the club’s name to Salford 92 – it’s staggering stuff.” If Salford were to go full-time it is not likely to be before they reach either Conference North or Conference level.
Scholes was pictured with Neville, Giggs and Butt at Moor Lane last month.
The source added: “These lads do not fail at things and there is plenty of excitement surrounding this.”
The proposal would be the latest joint venture between Neville, who was born in Bury and still lives in the area, and Giggs who lives in Worsley.
Butt is a coach with United’s youth set-up and has been helped out by Salford-born, Middleton-raised Scholes, while Phil Neville coaches the first team after playing under David Moyes at Everton.
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