In an interview released on Thursday, Thomas Zilliacus stated that his planned purchase of the Premier League club would put the interests of Manchester United supporters first, giving them a voice in important decisions like stadium renovation and player recruitment.

PHOTO | COURTESY Utd fans can be the big backbone to Zilicus takeover

The Glazer family indicated in November that they were thinking about selling the 20-time English champions, and the Finnish businessman has recently entered the fray to purchase United from them.

The third prospective buyer to publicly declare an interest in the club is the 69-year-old founder of Mobile FutureWorks, Zilliacus.

The Raine Group, which is managing the offers on behalf of the Glazers, has not provided numbers, although it is believed that one or more of the early bids are near £4.5 billion ($5.5 billion).

The three-time Champions League champions are valued at around £6 billion by the Glazers.

Zilliacus, who is rumoured to be a fan of Manchester United, favours a strategy in which his group would purchase the club and then offer shares to fans worldwide.

PHOTO | COURTESY Sir Jim Ratcliff among United Bidders

In an interview with the I newspaper, he said, "It (United) was there long before all of these individuals who are bidding on it were even born, and it will continue to exist for a very long time. has passed away."

"Fans are the foundation of that organization, so it's critical that they are at the center of decision-making in that regard."

In protest of the Americans' unpopular rule, United supporters have long complained about the Glazers and have even broken into Old Trafford to demand the postponement of a game against Liverpool in 2021.

He claimed that if Zilliacus' proposal is accepted, fans will have a voice in important matters like possible Old Trafford renovations and team construction, but not team selection.

Zilliacus is a late entry into the takeover fight, but he is determined that his investment company should be taken seriously.

PHOTO | COURTESY Qatari investors are among United bidders

"I've always operated a business. I have a global network because I have established, bought, and sold businesses, and I have done this on a massive scale, first with Nokia, the largest phone company in the world, and then with my own group," he remarked.

"I have a global network of people interested in taking part in intriguing projects", and this is undoubtedly one of them.

"I'm used to putting together finance for something like this, and it's a significant sum."