Thomas Zilliacus confirms second offer to buy Manchester United still stands

By Andy Hampson, PA

Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus has reaffirmed that his second bid to buy Manchester United remains on the table.

Zilliacus said earlier this month he would not be entering a third round of bidding for the Old Trafford outfit but that his second offer would still stand.

He insists that remains the case ahead of the deadline for third bids to be submitted on April 28th.

As said when I announced that I would not do a new third round bid, I have today informed the bank handling the sale of United that my bid from round 2 stands. My bid does not have a cap. The final price is subject to negotiations with the sellers #ManchesterUnited #UnitedWeStand

— Thomas Zilliacus (@TZilliacus) April 25, 2023

Zilliacus tweeted: “As said when I announced that I would not do a new third-round bid, I have today informed the bank handling the sale of United that my bid from round two stands. My bid does not have a cap. The final price is subject to negotiations with the sellers #ManchesterUnited #UnitedWeStand.”

United’s current owners, the Glazer family, are considering either selling the club or bringing in external investment after announcing last November they were seeking “strategic alternatives”.

Interested parties were invited to submit bids in February and leading offers went through to a second round of bidding in March.

British businessman Jim Ratcliffe and a Qatari consortium led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani were believed to be the frontrunners. It is unknown how many parties have entered the process with Zilliacus the only other one, of those seeking a full takeover, to go public.

One other group known to be involved is American hedge fund Elliott Investment, which has made an offer for a minority stake.

It has been reported the Glazers value the club at £6 billion (€6.7 billion).