“It’s true” – Fabrizio Romano shares behind-scenes insight on Man United takeover latest
On Wednesday, a significant milestone was reached in the potential takeover of Manchester United as the deadline for submitting bids passed and a previously unknown bidder came forward.
Who has submitted a bid for Man United?
On Thursday, it is believed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitted a second bid for Manchester United after being given an extension to the deadline, but there has been no confirmation yet from the Qatari party. Sheikh Jassim’s bid was also believed to have missed the deadline, but another bid is expected soon.
However, there is now a third public bidder in the race to potentially buy the club: Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus. In a discussion on the House of Champions YouTube channel, journalist Fabrizio Romano shared some information about Zilliacus’ bid.
“Yes, it’s true. He has this kind of model that could be kind of new – also involving the fans in the bid, so to have this possibility to also involve them by paying a small amount of money and be part of the club decisions.
“But I can tell you, that from my understanding, the two most credible bids at the moment remain INEOS group and Qatari group. So these two remain the favourites to buy Manchester United.”
What could Zilliacus offer for Man United?
The competition to potentially acquire Manchester United has become more intriguing with the emergence of the public bid from the Finnish businessman. If a bid is also made by Qatar, the three public bids offer varying terms for the Glazer family to consider.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reported interest involves purchasing the Glazers’ 69% share in the club, with the potential to acquire additional shares in the future.
If the expected bid from Qatar is made, it would provide Manchester United with a new beginning under the ownership of Sheikh Jassim, who would acquire the entire club and clear its debt.
On the other hand, Zilliacus’ bid presents an intriguing proposal. The 59-year-old has suggested that his bid would involve him purchasing 50% of the club, with fans having the opportunity to acquire the other 50%. Fans could purchase a portion of the club for less than $6 (£4.90), allowing them to participate in running the club alongside Zilliacus.
If Zilliacus’ bid is successful, it would provide fans with a voice in significant decisions made by the football club. Zilliacus is keen to return some power to the Manchester United supporters.
“Any sport club ultimately should belong to its fans. My bid is built on equality with fans. The current development, where billionaire sheikhs and oligarchs take over clubs and control them as their personal playgrounds is not a healthy trend,” he said.
“It’s true” – Fabrizio Romano shares behind-scenes insight on Man United takeover latest
