Soccer:The future of Liverpool appears far from clear after one interested party distanced himself from an official bid and another claimed they were on the verge of completing a deal. Chinese businessman Kenny Huang seemed to be in pole position yesterday after approaching the club's major creditors Royal Bank of Scotland about taking over Liverpool's €285 million debt to them.
His interest was passed on to Barclays Capital, who are handling the sale by the club’s American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and it then emerged there were five or six other groups considering offers.
However, this morning Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi, who represents a group of investors from the Middle East and Canada, claimed a price had been agreed and a formal purchase agreement “is in the final stage of negotiation”.
Much the same noises were made by Kirdi’s representatives in April and no deal was done, and he has been dealing with Hicks and Gillett rather than through Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton, who has been detailed to sell the club.
Meanwhile, Keith Harris, head of investment bank Seymour Pierce, has told Sky Sports Newsthere is another "cash-rich" party looking at the club.
"All I am prepared to say is we've looked at it very carefully on behalf of would-be buyers, who we know are very serious, we know are cash-rich, we know have the right incentive to do it, the right motivation to do it, and are prepared to take a long-term view," Harris said this afternoon.
"I can't say any more at the moment. We have represented a buyer in the past and that is an ongoing situation."
And this afternoon Huang issued a statement insisting he has not made a bid for the club but was interested, also stressing any official comment would come from his Hong Kong office and not from the UK where briefings emanated from earlier this week.
The only thing to say about the latest developments is that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is no nearer knowing whether there will be new owners in time for him to capitalise in the current transfer window.
Hodgson is steering clear of becoming involved in the issues surrounding a potential takeover but stressed whoever does come in has to put the needs of the club first.
“I was given the assurance I would be allowed to do the job in the right way and that has been the case since I have been here,” said the 62-year-old. “I don’t get involved, I leave it to the people who know what they are doing.
“But I can only hope if the club changes hands it goes to a group of people who have the club’s fortune and future at heart and that they will do the right thing by the club.
“I don’t think anyone who has the slightest love for the club would want anyone coming in whose sole intention was not to keep up the high standards of the past and if anything make certain we can do that in the future.
“If a new owner comes in it is very important he makes clear to the supporters of this club, a worldwide institution, that they are buying it for the right reasons.
“Buying it because they want to maintain the level the club has been used to for the last 40 years and to make sure they don’t drop from the high perch it has been on.
“That is what I would like to hear from the owners.”
Under new rules on club ownership announced by the Premier League yesterday, all prospective owners are obliged to give the league 10 days’ notice of a takeover and prove they have the funds to sustain the club.
Liverpool and a number of parties contemplating a takeover have already contacted the Premier League to alert them that a change of ownership could be imminent.
Kirdi claimed to have stolen a march on his rivals when he announced: “The group is in advanced negotiations with Thomas Hicks and George Gillett, co-owners of Liverpool Football Club, to purchase 100 per cent of the club.
“Agreement has been reached on all major terms including the purchase price, repayment of the existing bank debt from RBS and Wells Fargo and financing of a new stadium in Liverpool’s Stanley Park.
“A formal purchase agreement between the parties is in the final stage of negotiation.”
Kirdi is a resident of Canada and a former Syria international who oversees investments in Europe and North America on behalf of his investor group, said the statement. “Liverpool is a massive football club with passionate and proud fans in Merseyside and in every part of the world,” said Kirdi.
“With additional money to improve the squad and financing in place to build the new stadium, LFC will be on a solid foundation to compete in the Premiership and in Europe for years to come.”
Huang, meanwhile, appears to have taken a step back.
“Mr Huang would like to emphasise that he has registered interest in investing in Liverpool FC but has made no formal bid,” said a statement.
“There has been much speculation and commentary from a wide array of people, many of whom have little knowledge of the facts.
“Unless there is a statement that specifically comes from Mr Huang or his authorised representatives, which presently is solely Hill & Knowlton Hong Kong office, we would suggest such comments should be given little credence.”