Finnish billionaire Thomas Zilliacus has revealed that he is planning to approach investors to discuss the possibility of purchasing Manchester United from the Glazers.
The Glazers took over Man United in 2005, and there had been suggestions of a full sale in 2023, but the American family instead agreed to sell 27.7% of the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh claimed earlier this week that the Glazers are close to selling Man United “to a new investor”, and there has since been a host of speculation surrounding the future of the club.
It is understood that offers in the region of £5bn would be seriously considered by the Glazer family, and ‘secret talks’ over a sale of the club have not been ruled out.
Zilliacus led a party which submitted a bid for Man United in 2023, and the Finnish entrepreneur has now reiterated his interest in putting together a plan to purchase the club, while he would also be open to working with current minority shareholder Ratcliffe.
Manchester United players devastated after conceding a goal. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“Last week, I was sitting and thinking through all the possibilities of investing in Manchester United and drafting a basic plan on how I could approach certain parties to see if something could be done,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
“This is about joining forces with the right parties with the sole aim of bringing Manchester United back to where it should be as the number one club in the world.
“I mean, my love for the club has gone nowhere and I think the opportunity is still there. So I would really welcome an opportunity to talk to the key players and see what can be done.
“The key players, of course, today, Ratcliffe, then if other parties would be keen to join as well, then that would be great. Some of the investors, I think it’s almost everything or nothing, meaning either they own the club alone or they are not interested. So you would have to find the investors who are willing to look at what is best for the club and not what is best for the investor.
“I think the Glazers, unfortunately, are a good example of somebody who is not really looking out for the club, but rather using it as a cash cow. But in any case, they are not doing what should be done.
“I have a program that involves the fans who are overseas, who cannot come to watch a game. And my program can evolve in a way that can bring significant new revenues to the club.
“So with that money the club could do all the things it needs to do to be truly the best football club in the world, where all the best players, the best managers, everybody wants to be there.
“I actually have nothing against working with people like Jim Ratcliffe or any investor, whoever that may be. Because I’m not in this to have a trophy that I can show off to other people.
“I’m in this to make a club that I’ve been a fan of since I was 12 years old the best club in the world. My heart cries when I see how things are going today. Manchester United are so far below where the club should be and could be if things were managed the right way.
“When I had made my bid I realised that the Glazers were playing a game where Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim and myself were just trying to outbid each other. So the price was just going higher and higher and higher.
“I publicly said that this is madness, that this is money that should be used for the club and not to further enrich the Glazers. So I said, ‘Why don’t we join forces and take over the club together?’
“I’m still completely open to that, and I would be more than happy to speak to Sheikh Jassim or to Jim Ratcliffe or any other investor about how we could work together.”
The Glazer family would reportedly also be open to selling a portion of their stake in order to raise the necessary funds to build a new state-of-the-art stadium, with plans announced in March.
