Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already given Manchester United fans something the Glazers won't

Speaking at an event in London on Tuesday evening, Sir Jim Ratcliffe reaffirmed his interest in buying Manchester United but also admitted it is unlikely the club will be in his possession anytime soon.

"Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family, whom I have met. They don't want to sell it,” he said. “It's owned by the six children of the father and they don't want to sell it.”

Ratcliffe went on to give a glowing review of the family, calling them “the nicest people”. It seems he is on good terms with United’s owners, which may be beneficial should the Glazers ever get to a point where they want to sell up.

READ MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe breaks silence on Manchester United takeover interest

The British billionaire - who owns Ligue 1 club Nice - went on to say he would have gone in for United should the club have been available in the summer but that he isn’t going to wait around in the hope that Glazers will change their tune.

After a failed bid for Chelsea earlier in the year, Ratcliffe made his interest in United - the club he supports - public via his spokesperson in August. It came amid reports that the Glazers had held discussions over potentially selling off a portion of their ownership.

Despite his bleak forecast of a forthcoming takeover, Ratcliffe’s latest comments show a level of transparency United fans have not received from the Glazers, which may make supporters rue Tuesday’s admission even more.

Supporters have had to second-guess the movements of their owners for the most part. They might still be guessing whether the Glazers still have an interest in the sport itself. Their willingness to persistently hand out dividends to shareholders while the club racks up masses of debts and Old Trafford needs a