Public relations adviser Finsbury, which advised the club during the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United, has been appointed by the Red Knights, the group of city financiers putting together a £1 billion bid to take the club out of the hands of its American owners.

The likes of Jim O'Neill, chief economist at Goldman Sachs and a friend of Sir Alex Ferguson, and Keith Harris, chairman of investment bank Seymour Pierce and well-known for brokering takeovers of soccer clubs, are key figures in the Red Knights movement. Last month Harris told reporters that he is confident of securing enough financial backing to make a credible offer for the club. "We don't know if the Glazers can be made to listen, but there is serious intent on the part of people who have support in their hearts," said Harris, a lifelong Manchester United fan, to the Press Association.

Solicitors Freshfields, who also acted for Manchester United during that time, have also come on board. Mark Rawlinson, a partner at the company, is another of the Red Knights, and talks were held at Freshfields' offices on Monday.

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The 'green and gold' protests held by Manchester United fans in recent weeks are already estimated to have cost the club as much as £1 million in merchandise losses, and fans' groups are threatening a boycott of season tickets that could hit the Glazers to the tune of £12 million.

Season ticket sales at Old Trafford fell from 65,000 to 58,000 this season, according to reports, as the economic crisis combined with ticket prices that have increased massively since the Glazer family took control of Manchester United, leaving many fans disenchanted despite three consecutive Premier League titles.