Sir Jim Ratcliffe may not have been best pleased to hear that Manchester United have appointed the Raine Group as the club's exclusive financial advisor, after he failed with his 11th hour bid for a potential takeover of Chelsea FC under their watch.
In a statement from United on Tuesday night, United fans at long last heard the news they have been hoping to hear for 17 years. The club was up for sale.
The chants of ' Glazers Out' have been a constant backdrop to United games before the World Cup break, with no sign of the fan unrest over the American owners disappearing anytime soon. The supporters had been keen to ensure that the club's signing of Antony from Ajax this summer did not distract from the wider problems they've faced.
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It appears now that their protests and defiance have bore fruit. There is of course a long process to go between now and any potential sale, and nobody more than Sir Jim will realise just how difficult it can be to get a deal over the line.
United have announced the Raine Group as their financial advisors for the process, the companythat were also employed by Roman Abramovich to manage the sale of Chelsea FC this summer. The Todd Boehly-led purchase ultimately saw a deal conclude, but Ratcliffe had appeared to upset the apple cart with a failed 11th-hour attempted bid.
Raine Group were seemingly moments from announcing Boehly as their preferred buyer, before the British billionaire declared a last-minute interest.
“My message to Raine is don’t discount our offer,” Ratcliffe told the BBC back in May.
“We are British and have great intentions for Chelsea. If I was Raine I wouldn’t close any door.”
The door did sadly close for Sir Jim, as the Raine Group got the sale over the line for the London club with Boehly.
The news of the Raine Group completing the sale of Chelsea should of course inspire United fans, as it shows the investment bank's ability and desire to be able to complete sizeable and complex negotiations.
Ratcliffe himself is a boyhood United fan, and there will be many supporters hoping that his love for the club will help him to go one step further than his failed attempt to buy Chelsea.
The British billionaire told the Financial Times in October: “I’m a lifelong Manchester United fan. I was there in that most remarkable match in 99 in Barcelona [the Champions League final against Bayern Munich]. That is deeply etched in my mind.
“Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family. I have met Joel and Avram. They are the nicest people, I have to say, proper gentlemen. They don’t want to sell it [the club]. It’s owned by the six children of the father. If it had been for sale in the summer, yes we would probably have had a go following on from the Chelsea thing. But we can’t sit around hoping one day Manchester United will become available.”
The Glazers now appear to have gone from privately keeping Ratcliffe at arm's length, to now encouraging and hoping the Briton can find the funds to conclude a deal. The appointment of the Raine Group may well have taken the wind out of Sir Jim's sails, but it certainly doesn't mean he won't be successful this time.
He and millions of other United supporters will certainly be hoping so – he may just need to act slightly more quickly than he did during his attempts to purchase Chelsea if he is to be successful this time around.
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