Sir Jim Ratcliffe is taking advice from JPMorgan as he weighs up a potential bid to buy Manchester United from the Glazers.
That is according to Bloomberg, who claim he is also speaking to Goldman Sachs, to work out how feasible an offer would be.
JPMorgan are of course the company Ed Woodward used to work for, helping the Glazers with their initial buyout of the club before a chaotic spell as United’s chief executive.
They were also going to bankroll the doomed European Super League, before revolt from players, pundits and fans alike put paid to it.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking JPMorgan advice before potential Manchester United offer
The report claims that any offer for United would need to be worth more than £4 billion to get the Glazers to accept and that Ratcliffe bidded £4.25 billion when Chelsea were up for sale.
It also says that despite Ratcliffe declaring an interest, it is by no means guaranteed that he will actually make a concrete offer.
The discussions may touch on tactics if the sale process turns into an auction, which is what the Glazers would clearly love, to drive the price up.
JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs could also help Ratcliffe finance any buyout, amid reported potential interest from Qatar in United.
The involvement of both American banks in elite European football has not been uncommon in recent years.
JPMorgan recently advised Juventus on nine-figure rights issue and provided financing to Ligue 1 – where Ratcliffe owns French outfit Nice – during the pandemic.
Goldman Sachs are working with Morgan Stanley on the sale of Liverpool, which is a process which looks to be impacted by United being on the market, and also with Barcelona as they look for funds to revamp the Camp Nou.
The Telegraph report that a deadline for serious bids is in the middle of February, so the picture may be about to become a lot more clear in the coming days.
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