Dutch outlet NOS today shows how proud they are that they managed to interview potential Manchester United buyer Thomas Zilliacus.
They highlight how hard it’d be to speak to any owner of a big European club, and reveal they actually had an easy mission with the Finnish businessman, as he took ten minutes to answer a WhatsApp message and was soon talking to them on Zoom.
As they got straight to talking business, Zilliacus spoke about how much he’s willing to pay to take over Manchester United.
“At the moment the market value of Manchester is US$3.9bn. Of course, after a long experience in the business world, I understand that you will have to pay a lot for such a club. How much exactly? That will become clear in the negotiations. Twenty percent on top? Maybe forty. Or more…,” Thomas Zilliacus told NOS.
Zilliacus also said he’s a big fan of Erik ten Hag. He admires the job the Dutch manager has been doing at Old Trafford so far, and had specific compliments for the way the coach handled Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation.
“From what I’ve seen, he’s a brilliant manager. What he did with Ajax was amazing and what he’s done now with Manchester United is equally amazing. Because early in the season, things didn’t look very good. And he had the courage, which I really admire, to tell even big estabilished stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo ‘look, this is me running this and this is how I need to do’. And that led Ronaldo to leave the club which now seems to have been a good move, because the club is doing significantly better without him.
“I think he’s done an amazing job. So I really hope that he stays with the club and if I would be the owner I’d definitely want to see him continue.”
For the fans who are worried about Manchester United having a new owner, Zilliacus made it clear he won’t have an ‘ego trip’ and will keep part of the club in the fans’ hands.
“Without fans there is no club. When the deal is done and I own the club, I will invite them to buy shares in the club. As far as I am concerned, Manchester United does not belong to one person, not an ego trip, but to everyone with a heart for the club.”
Still, when asked if fans would have a say on transfer policy, he sensibly went against that.
“That’s probably not a good plan, no. We still have to think it through carefully. It’s more about the bigger picture, the course-determining issues that I want to involve them in. Do we focus on talents or do we get big stars? That kind of thing.”
