You could probably count on one hand the number of potential suitors that could afford Manchester United and want to make Old Trafford the Theatre of Dreams once again.
Jim Ratcliffe is one of them.
The 70-year-old knighted Mancunian billionaire is reported to be preparing a bid for his hometown club after current owners, the Glazer family, confirmed they would be open to a sale after 17 years in charge.
The likely scenario, given a touted price is in excess of £5bn (some reports put that figure as high as £8bn), is that any bid would be made via Ineos, his chemical company, which has a track record of hoovering up sports teams, including French football club Nice.
Ratcliffe and Ineos throwing their names into the hat is undoubtedly a u-turn from earlier this month, where a spokesperson said the businessman would not be buying “any top tier Premier League Club” after Man U's rival Liverpool was put on the market by American owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
Why the sudden change of heart?
Ratcliffe has been open about his adoration of Manchester United in the past and has spoken of his wishes to buy the club.
This summer, he spoke about his conversation with the Glazers, who at the time weren’t open to selling but might have entertained some form of investment, although Ratcliffe was believed to want the whole pie rather than a slice.
While he baulked at the chance to buy Liverpool, were his beloved Manchester United ever to come onto the market it was always likely he would throw his name into the hat.
So, there was no change of heart. The right opportunity just came up.
What to expect if he is successful?
Ever since business hooked its claws into football, fans have yearned for their teams to be run like clubs rather than companies, with the priority being on-pitch success rather than balancing the financial books.
With Ratcliffe, the Old Trafford faithful will hope to be getting what they wished for, a fan and one of their own running the club.
READ: Man United sale: why now and how is it worth more than Liverpool and Chelsea?
That means investment, according to Conrad Wiacek, a sports analyst at GlobalData.
“I think if you want it to be a success, you have to invest,” said Wiacek.
“Old Trafford is in need of investment, the training ground is in need of investment, the team is in need of investment, so in short term, spending will be needed on the club.”
However, that isn’t to say that on-pitch success would come at the cost of losing its status as a commercial powerhouse.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Adding to its trophy-laden cabinet would in fact help drive its commercial prowess, especially when you consider current sponsor TeamViewer has been vocal about its intentions to back out of its deal early unless the club can be turned around on the pitch.
Clubs are often also rewarded financially for how far they go in competitions, such as the lucrative Champions League.
A higher league position also entitles them to a larger slice of the TV rights pie, which year-on-year grows as demand for the Premier League globally shows no signs of slowing down.
Ratcliffe’s emotional attachment to the club should make trophies the ultimate priority.
With that being said, Ratcliffe's success isn't driven by emotion.
Ultimately, he will see value in United that he feels he can extract, while also achieving footballing success.
“A businessman, no matter what stripe, no matter their funding, no matter their desire to own a football, ultimately, would want to make some money out of it,” said Wiacek.
Final thoughts
Ratcliffe in charge of United will feel like fans have one of their own in the hot seat, and they would hope he would lead the club as such.
However, emotion alone will not rule, and decisions would be made with both his business hat and fan hat.
United fans can therefore expect the investment they have been crying out for while also driving the business commercially.
Should Ratcliffe be successful, Old Trafford can once again become the Theatre of Dreams.