Sir Jim Ratcliffe's declaration of interest in buying Manchester United could well be the green shoots of hope that fans have been crying out for for several years.
Elon Musk’s quick purchase plan clarification on Twitter and Michael Knighton’s unsurprising cash shortage admission earlier on Wednesday were the latest takeover disappointments fans have experienced. However, the now-torrent tide of fan emotion against the Glazers is clearly taking effect.
Reports suggest that United’s American owners are holding discussions about whether to sell a minority stake in the club. It’s something Ratcliffe’s spokesperson said the Failsworth-born billionaire would be interested in, as long as the long-term view would be an entire passover.
READ MORE: What Ratcliffe has said about Glazers and United
It comes at a time when fan confidence with the owners is at an all-time low with a number set to boycott Monday’s clash with Liverpool - an unthinkable proposition a decade ago.
Monaco-based Ratcliffe is in an imperfect but much better position to take over United than the Glazers were in 2005. The family had experience of operating an NFL giant in Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but managing a football club - let alone the world’s largest - is a different kettle of fish.
Ratcliffe has three years’ experience of owning a European outfit already, having bought Nice in France in 2019, putting him at a far greater advantage. At the time of his purchase of Nice, he noted that the way United were run was “shockingly poor.”
The billionaire is a United fan and has previously been outspoken about the Glazers' management of United, showing he has a clear passion for the club.
A devoted owner is something that supporters have yearned for, and have deserved, for nearly two decades.
Having an owner that loves the club and has had prior experience overseeing a top-flight European outfit puts Ratcliffe on a far better beginning footing than the Glazers had.
It’s not a perfect glove-fit union - he tried to buy rivals Chelsea in May, and operating in Ligue 1 is a far cry from the Premier League, but as things stand he is the club's best chance of an escape from the Glazer regime.
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