Takeover talks have resurfaced at Liverpool Football Club with the emergence of a Hollywood film executive as a possible new bidder.
The Financial Timesreports that Mr Mike Jefferies - who was born on Merseyside - is interested in putting together a deal worth £100 million sterling.
It is understood he has already held talks with the club, following the collapse of two other bids earlier this year.
Mr Jefferies, who is putting together the deal with fellow Hollywood executive Mr Stuart Ford, says he aims to make Liverpool the most successful club in the world.
He is understood to want eventual overall control of the club but might be prepared to take a minority stake at first, the FTsays.
The Jefferies-Ford partnership is understood to be keen to retain the services of current chairman David Moores, whose family owns 51.6 per cent of the club. They are also said to be supporters of newly installed Spanish manager Rafael Benitez.
The long-term future of the club has been in some doubt recently. In May it rejected a second approach by local businessman Steve Morgan, who initially offered to inject £73 million.
Directors had planned to raise £65 million by selling up to 30 per cent of their stake in the company to a consortium led by Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
In June, music company GMM Grammy was given the go-ahead to lead a consortium of private Thai companies to bid for a 30 per cent stake.