If the Glazer family really did want to sell Man United before the end of the season they haven’t got too much longer to do so, and the entire process could’ve been thrown into turmoil with one bidder withdrawing his offer for the club.
To this point there were always thought to be two front runners to buy the club if they could persuade the current owners to take the money and run.
Both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are believed to have passed two initial stages of the bidding process.
However, an apparent third stage in the process has seen one other serious bidder pull out.
There’s still been no positive signs that the current owners are willing to relinquish their grip on the Old Trafford outfit in any event, and that has led Finnish businessman, Thomas Zilliacus, to call out the Glazer family on social media.
I have declined participation in a third bidding round for United. The bidding is turning into a farce, with Glazers giving no respect to the club. The delays will make it very difficult for any new owner to build a winning team for next season.
— Thomas Zilliacus (@TZilliacus) April 12, 2023
Clearly incensed, Zilliacus has labelled the whole thing as a ‘farce’ and suggested that the Glazer family are ‘giving no respect to the club.’
This might just be seen as a bit of a PR win for the businessman given that he never really appeared to be in the running to take over the club in any event.
Towards the end of March, Mirror Sport were reporting on Zilliacus’ apparent proposal to join forces with Messrs. Ratcliffe and Jassim, and his rejection of suggestions that he was doing so as a publicity stunt.
It’s possible that he’s managed to turn around the narrative to the extent that fans may now believe it’s the Glazer family who are in fact indulging themselves in publicity stunts which benefits no one if there isn’t going to be a swift resolution to proceedings.
He was never a serious bidder anyway, shades of Michael Knighton…
Thomas Zilliicus wanted to publicise himself and having found out the hard way, that he does not have them funds, he has honourably made a hasty retreat. Goodbye Thomas!