Thomas Zilliacus says offer to buy Manchester United stands

Zilliacus said earlier this month that he would not participate in a third round of bidding and accused United's current owners, the Glazer family, of turning the process into a sham. But he said his second-round offer remained on the table before the April 28 deadline for third-round offers.

And he reiterated his position on Tuesday, saying on Twitter that as he said when I announced that I would not make a new third-round offer, today I informed the bank handling the United sale that my second-round offer stands. My offer has no limit. Final price is subject to negotiations with #ManchesterUnited #UnitedWeStand sellers.

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe submitted a second offer for the Premier League club last month. Several offers are believed to have come in in recent weeks, but Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe remain the frontrunners to buy United if the Glazers cede control of the club they bought in 2005 for £790m.

United's unpopular American owners announced in November that they were conducting a strategic review, considering the sale of the club as an option along with outside investment. The Qatari group has reportedly made an offer of around £5bn for 100 per cent ownership of the club, while Ratcliffe, a childhood United fan, wants to buy Glazer's combined stake from 69 percent.

The actual sale price

US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management is understood to have made an offer for a minority stake. The Glazers are believed to be selling for around $6 billion, a figure that would make the 20-time English champions the most expensive sports club in history.