Sir Jim Ratcliffe is being touted as the man to potentially answer the prayers of countless Manchester United fans, having confirmed his interest in buying the club.
The British billionaire’s interest was confirmed by a spokesperson on Wednesday, following reports the Glazers are considering selling a minority stake in United. It remains to be seen whether they would be open to selling the club, but Ratcliffe is one of few people who could genuinely finance a takeover.
Ratcliffe has previously been linked with a potential takeover of the club but has talked down the possibility. His view appears to have changed now, with a spokesperson telling The Times: “If the club is up for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer.”
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A takeover by Ratcliffe is by no means a guarantee. In fact, a major stumbling block has already been identified.
Speaking back in 2019 to BBC Radio 5 Live, Ratcliffe's brother, Bob, said: "We spent quite a lot of time looking at Premier League clubs. We looked at the valuation of Premiership clubs and £5bn in revenues for the Premier League and top six clubs being valued at £2bn and upwards, and £450m of net profit before tax.
"[It's] pretty difficult to rationalise purchases in the Premier League at this time for us and then, if you look below the top six, they're all £150m and above and you're going to write a cheque for £50m and get in the 'Everton Cup'. There was some early exchange [with Chelsea] but we were a significant way apart on valuations.
"The issue with Chelsea is its stadium. We are all getting older and it is a decade of your life to resolve that."
That last comment may well ring alarm bells for United supporters. The future of Old Trafford has been a big talking point this year, with plans for the redevelopment of the ground being discussed.
United are open to all ideas, including dramatic plans to completely rebuild the stadium on its current site. The club and the Glazers have been criticised for the state of the ground in recent years, with former captain Gary Neville one of the most vocal on the issue.
"Manchester United need a billion pounds in this next two or three years to either rebuild or renovate that stadium," Neville told Sky Sports. "They probably need another £500m-£600m on a training ground and other infrastructure projects and football investment."
The club appointed master planners Legends and Populous to work on redevelopment plans back in April, with designs expected to be in place by the end of September at the latest. Once designs have been formalised, a more detailed approach to carrying out the recommended work can take place.
Chief operating officer Collette Roche told the fans' forum in April that redeveloping Old Trafford was the club's top priority, saying: "Our current focus is on developing our existing stadium into a world-class facility – ensuring it meets the needs of our fans and players whilst retaining the history and legacy which makes it so special and unique.”
News of Ratcliffe’s interest in buying the club, and any potential decision from the Glazers to sell up, could result in plans being pushed back. Given Ratcliffe’s reservations about Chelsea, he may well need assurances over Old Trafford before entering into any takeover bid.
The Blues have over the years explored the option of building a brand new stadium away from its current site, with a number of locations touted, including Battersea Power Station. With Todd Boehly now in place as Chelsea owner, the new plan is reported to be to redevelop Stamford Bridge one stand at a time.
With no formal plans on the table yet for Old Trafford, there is no potential timescale for how long the redevelopment could take, or how much work would need to be undertaken. Ratcliffe may well be waiting to see what is put forward next month.
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