Manchester United fans want nothing more than clarity after a long and drawn out takeover process.
The Glazers put the Reds up for sale in November but since then progress has been slow going. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is reportedly in the driving seat to take over but Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains in the battle and is understood to be very invested with the outcome.
This obsession with the United takeover has meant bad news for his other club Nice. L'Equipe reports this week there is uncertainty at the Ligue 1 club regarding their summer transfer budget.
Meanwhile, the club is no closer to appointing a new head coach after interim boss Didier Digard was reportedly told he would not be handed the role on a permanent basis. All of this comes after Nice supporters protested against the ownership this season after losing faith with the direction the club was heading in.
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All of this paints a worrying picture for United fans. Ordinarily, a steely-eyed focus on the club which an owner is attempting to buy would be seen as a good thing but it should not come at the expense of another team.
Ratcliffe may have his heart set on buying his boyhood club however he should be able to balance the two. Let us not forget, if the INEOS owner is successful with his bid to buy United, he is envisaging running both clubs.
You would imagine United would be seen as the senior partner in this relationship and there is little to suggest otherwise. However, the current outlook for Nice at present is a red flag for supporters.
It is fair to suggest the Reds have greater expectations than the French club and the task at Old Trafford will be much harder considering the position United currently find themselves in. Sadly for Ratcliffe, Nice is not the glowing advert which Britain's richest man would like it to be.
Fans will be watching intently what is happening over the Channel and will be hoping for signs of the INEOS strategy working before welcoming Ratcliffe with open arms.
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
