Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani set out a grand vision for the club when he announced his offer to buy out the Glazers.
In February, through the Nine Two Foundation, he released this statement: "The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United once more. The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.
"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops."
The Qatari banker promised he would invest $1bn on top of his $5bn offer. This would wipe out the current debt, which stands at £535.7m. While this all sounds ideal, it is not dissimilar to Nasser Al-Khelaifi's mission statement when he took control at French club PSG.
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During a Guardian interview in 2012, Al-Khelaifi said: "It's a simple message. We are building a team to be one of the best in Europe.
"To become big, you need to sign players now and that is what we are doing. Obviously, we believe in our targets and objectives, and we are really confident that the dreams are going to come true."
However, in the 10 years since, PSG's targets on the European stage remain unfulfilled. While near dominance in France has been achieved, the Champions League still alludes them.
Al-Khelaifi's promise of signing players 'now' has been met but with a strike force of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the Parisians were still halted by Bayern Munich in the round of 16. What has started to become clear is PSG have not built a team, they instead have a squad of individuals.
Should Sheikh Jassim complete his takeover of United, he cannot be lured into the temptation of signing big name stars who do not fit the overall objective which United boss Erik ten Hag is hoping to achieve. As much as it would pain the Reds' supporters to admit it, following a similar model to Manchester City would be the best route to success.
Sheikh Mansour and the Blues have built a dynasty, with the significant input of manager Pep Guardiola. What should give United fans hope is that Sheikh Jassim has outlined his desire to rebuild the club both off the pitch as well as on it.
Developing United behind the scenes is just as important as new recruits at this stage. A mad 'PSG-style' dash in the transfer market could prove more harm than good.
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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