Zilliacus offer for Man Utd still stands

London – Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus insisted again yesterday his second offer to buy Manchester United still stands.

Zilliacus said earlier this month he would not be entering a third round of bidding, accusing existing United owners the Glazer family of turning the process into a “farce”.

But he said then his second-round offer remained on the table ahead of the deadline for third bids to be submitted on Friday.

And he reiterated his position yesterday, saying on Twitter: “As said when I announced that I would not do a new thirdround 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.”

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe both submitted a second bid for the Premier League club last month.

Several offers are understood to have been received in recent weeks but Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe remain the front-runners to buy United should the Glazers give up control of the club they bought in 2005 for £790 million.

United’s unpopular US-based owners announced in November they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of the club one option, along with external investment.

The Qatari group has reportedly made an offer of about £5 billion for 100% ownership of the club while Ratcliffe, a United fan, wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of 69%.

US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management is understood to have made a bid for a minority stake.

The Glazers’ asking price is believed to be around $6 billion. –