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Thomas Zilliacus, who bid to take over Manchester United a few years ago, is back with a new deal. The fresh proposal is not for taking over the club, but a $500 million sponsorship bid where Zilliacus has said he wants to work with Sir Jim Rattclife for the betterment of the Red Devils.
The former Nokia official competed with Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim in 2023 for United which had been owned by the Glazers since 2005. Zilliacus’ fan-led bid failed and Ratcliffe got around 27% stake in the club.
This time, Zilliacus has come with another offer in the form of a sponsorship deal that he says will help United “strengthen their squad”.
Zilliacus’ $500 million offer for Manchester United
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, a regional daily in the city, Zilliacus said that he has offered a sponsorship deal to United.
“I have decided to offer Manchester United a sponsorship deal through my company XXI Century Capital Group. I want to be able to give a Christmas present to Manchester United. For me, it’s not about owning something. It’s not about having a trophy to show off. It’s about how we make Manchester United so strong financially that they can become the number one club, not only in England, but in Europe,” he said.
“So, I have decided to propose a $500m (£375m) sponsorship deal over five years. It goes back to global fan engagement and how we get the fans involved around the world.
“I have a programme that in a very interesting way activates these fans and it’s around that that I am confident I can offer this sponsorship deal over five years. With that money, Manchester United could significantly strengthen their squad and do other things as well.
“Within the XXI Century Capital Group, we have a number of brands. It wouldn’t necessarily be the XXI Century Capital brand that sponsors. It could be some other brands within the group. It could be Champion Circle, which is the specific fan engagement programme.”
‘Would love to work with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’
Zilliacus also revealed that he always wanted to work with alongside Ratcliffe to help United get better results.
“I would love to be working with Sir Jim Ratcliffe. When us three, Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim and I, were bidding for Manchester United, I said, ‘Look, instead of just trying to overbid each other and make the Glazer family even more wealthy, why don’t we work together for the benefit of the club?’
“That is still how I see things. You usually get better results when you work together,” he told the Manchester publication.
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