Man United 'takeover' Q&A: Sir Jim Ratcliffe poses himself as a genuine alternative to the Glazers, but the US tycoons only want to sell a minority stake… so why does the Billionaire Brit want control, and how much would a deal cost?

The Glazer family have owned Manchester United for more than 17 years, and have been deeply unpopular among supporters ever since.

Their highly-leveraged £790million buyout in 2005 remains one of the most controversial ever in English football.

For United fans who are desperate for the American family to sell up, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel following news that the Glazers are considering selling a minority stake in the club - perhaps the path to a full sale at some point in the future.

It has since emerged that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man and a lifelong United fan, would be interested in buying the club if the Glazers would be willing to sell.