Sir Jim Ratcliffe: I want to buy Manchester United | Will make a bid for the club [Telegraph]

This is further along than we all think.

Co-incidence the glazers were at the game at the weekend?
 
He said he only bought Nice as a dry run at owning a football club before something bigger. Manchester United makes shit loads of money, in football clubs terms, off its own back. We spent £800m on debt repayments since the Glazers came in. If we just get rid of the debt it will be transformative. He doesn’t even need to be putting his hands in his own pockets. His statement also says that the city of Manchester needs this. United is obviously a much different proposition to Nice for him on both a personal and financial level.

Don't get me wrong, the devil will be in the detail but I’m at least hoping that this could be close to a best case scenario.


Anyone coming is needs extra 2b to be spent on stadium and training facilities….. sure we can sell naming rights of stadium over 20 years to get half of it back!! But we need instant cash injection who so ever buys us..

In terms of players recruitment and salaries, we make enough money to compete with anyone in the world if we have no debt or dividends (we will even attract more once we have proper owners)….
 
Anyone coming is needs extra 2b to be spent on stadium and training facilities….. sure we can sell naming rights of stadium over 20 years to get half of it back!! But we need instant cash injection who so ever buys us..

In terms of players recruitment and salaries, we make enough money to compete with anyone in the world if we have no debt or dividends (we will even attract more once we have proper owners)….
Loans and/or further investment can be used for the stadium. An owner doesn't need to spend billions outright
 
Oh man, this is just so perfect it couldn't possibly be true, could it? Getting rid of the Glazers and at the same time NOT getting bought by some shitty oil-pumped regime, but an old-school English dude that has even been a fan?
 
Apparently Brailsford has fecked things up at Nice. Hope he isn’t given a major role. He always came across as a little too smug whenever he gave interviews during the Team Sky days.
 
He's allegedly been a tight arse with Nice
People don’t realise how much money Utd makes cause so much of it goes to the Glazers and debt repayments. We don’t need anyone pumping money into the club to spend extortionate amounts, we just need it not all being taken out.
 
This would be the most exciting thing that's happened since the treble season for me.
 
You lot cool with the whole him being a massive brexiteer thing?
 
He's allegedly been a tight arse with Nice

I think that is a little harsh. He has not loaded them up with debt and is looking to make them self sustaining. Money has been available for infrastructure and it is doubtful that they would have had the money to sign Ramsey and Schmeichel in the latest window under previous ownership. I am under no illusion that he is going to be a sugar daddy owner, that is not who he is but I also don't think he is here to asset strip the club like the current leeches.

Without the Glazers siphoning off millions in dividends and with a responsible approach to getting rid of the debt the club can easily afford to be competitive in the transfer market and invest in infrastructure. I am mostly invested in getting the stadium restored/rebuilt and the long promised upgrade to the training, academy and Womens facilities and then upgrading and replacing the people making the football decisions. A proper DOF with a real scouting network would save us from spaffing millions up against the wall repeatedly anyway.
 
You lot cool with the whole him being a massive brexiteer thing?

Weigh up a potential owner being a brexiteer versus owners milking our football club dry and not putting a penny in.

I'd be cool with almost anyone but the Glazers
 
Of course it's much further down the line. These things take a while. Jim didn't just wake up yesterday and think he might buy some United shares. It'll be so close to finalisation it's safe to start letting folk know it's happening. I'm usually a glass half empty guy but I can't help but feel we are this close to hearing what we've been desperate to hear for years.

It may also be coincidence but since this story started I've seen tweets about United suddenly going in with big bucks for a couple of players. It may also be BS of course!