It always seemed like wishful thinking, but Manchester United fans might soon get their ultimate wish of new owners. United's share price rose on Thursday in response to a Bloomberg story that said the Glazers were open to selling a minority stake in the club.
There are still conflicting reports about whether or not the American family would be open to selling up altogether, although financial sources believe they will have to eventually bring in an investor or sell to improve United's cash flow.
With fresh protests against their ownership planned for the home match against Liverpool on Monday night, it is clear that supporters' feelings are finally being felt on the other side of the Atlantic.
READ MORE: The Glazers are ignoring important 12 words with controversial takeover decision
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already signalled his interest in buying the club if the opportunity arises, but the Glazers are business moguls, and would likely sell to the highest bidder, not necessarily a candidate preferred by fans.
Yet, no matter who might one day end up taking over the club, they must adhere to four core principals and promises before they are given the freedom of Old Trafford.
The first promise is that of meaningful investment, something that has always been a criticism of the Glazer family since they took charge of the club.
The Glazers only spent £270million to buy the club in the first place, loading the club with debt in the process. They have recouped nearly £450m from that investment, while the club's debts have risen to almost £500m under their reign.
They make a major profit, still own the majority of the business, and all transfer funds are generated by the club rather than from cash investment from the owners.
If there is going to be genuine change under any new ownership structure, then it must come with the promise of meaningful investment and from people who understand they might need to put further money into the club once they have completed a purchase.
That brings us to the second point, too: the debt. The latest financial accounts released back in May showed that United's net debt had risen by 11.8% in the space of a year, standing at £495.7million, up from £443.5m. However, due to an overdraft facility, the club's gross debt actually stands at £596m.
United's controversial owners will argue those figures, though, stating that thanks to huge commercial profits and the return of matchday revenues, the interest payments are now an affordable expense catered for in their cash flow projections.
A new investor might not be able to clear all of the debt from the club straightaway, but they would certainly need to acknowledge it and let supporters know how they plan to avoid it going forward.
Despite the huge debts, United paid a dividend to shareholders of nearly £11million back in June, with the majority of that going to the Glazer family. As major shareholders, they are entitled to those payments twice a year, but it would have been refreshing for them to refuse them, or reinvest them as a recognition of the club's failure on the pitch.
It is crucial that any new owner fully understands where supporters are coming from, and it would be a priceless asset if United fans could relate to those in charge on some level at least.
One way to do that would be to build upon the foundations laid by the Fans' Advisory Board that was launched last December and follow through with recent proposals for a new Fan Share Scheme.
No matter who might take charge of the club going forward, they would face huge scepticism from a fanbase that has lost any trust in their owners and would need to work relentlessly to try and rebuild those bridges.
Having a successful team on the pitch is obviously a straightforward, yet difficult, way to win supporters over, but just as important would be any plans to redevelop Old Trafford as a venue.
Anyone fortunate enough to visit the ground in recent years will be well aware of how dated it is in the modern game, and although it has unrivalled historical and sentimental value, there is still a way to improve it while keeping that unique charm and heritage.
That is, of course, if they don't plan to start from scratch. Tottenham spent £1billion on their new stadium, and if United were to build a new home ground on their current site, then you would imagine it would cost a similar amount to do so.
Again, it comes full circle. Any prospective new owner would need to liaise with different support groups and season ticket holders to find out what they really want, and then go about working in unison to deliver on those visions.
United need new owners, but they must be the right ones.
READ MORE:
