In an interview with English outlet, Manchester Evening News, it has been claimed that Finnish billionaire, Thomas Zilliacus, has formally submitted an offer to acquire 100% of Inter.

During an interview with MEN Sport focusing on Zilliacus’ previous interest in acquiring Manchester United Football Club and his remaining interest in working alongside new Manchester United minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, on an immersive fan experience for the club, the outlet has claimed that Zilliacus has now “pivoted towards the Italian market”.

According to the article, after withdrawing from the race to take over Manchester United last year, Zilliacus has now turned his focus towards Inter. MEN Sport specifically outlines that Thomas Zilliacus has “formally submitted a 100% buy-out bid worth £1.2billion” (~€1.4billion) for Inter. It is further stated that Zilliacus is being backed by his investment firm, XIX Century Capital, a firm focused on sports, fashion and digital media, and for this particular investment is comprised of “most investors situated in the United States”.

If this reported €1.4B offer is true, it will be more than the previously reported €1.2B price that Suning has been holding out for. Suning has always maintained that they want to continue their ownership of Inter, but in the event of a large offer such as this one, things could change.

The future of Inter has been under much speculation over the past months, as Suning must repay an enormous loan granted by Oaktree Capital by May 2024. Options include refinancing this loan or selling the club. As the offer has reportedly been formally submitted, it is now up to Suning whether to accept or reject the bid from Zilliacus.