Millionaire Thomas Zilliacus took to social media late on Wednesday night to announce that he had abandoned the Manchester United takeover process, leaving Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Heikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani as the only 'survivors'.

"I have rejected taking part in a third round of bids for [Manchester] United. The bidding is becoming a farce, and the Glazers are paying no respect to the club. The delays will make it very difficult for any new owner to build a winning team for next season," he wrote.

"Jim Ratcliffe, Sheik Jassim and I were all prepared to negotiate a deal to buy United. Instead, the Glazers chose to start a new round. I will not take part in a farce set up to maximize the sellers' profit at the expense of Manchester United," he continued.

"I hope that whoever buys United understands how to interact with the fans. For another top soccer club, my company has created services that bring in 400 dollars a year per participating fan. United's total revenue in 2022 was 709 million dollars. That can be begged for", he added.