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!"