Buyers still lining up for LFC, says Purslow

A “small number of potentially interested parties” are carrying out due diligence exercises on Liverpool Football Club with a view to agreeeing a deal to buy it, according to the club’s managing director Christian Purslow.

In an interview with the club’s own station, LFC TV, Purslow dismissed fears that the club might face administration and said that the club was “doing well commercially” and had just achieved record sales and profits in the year to July 31, even though its progress on the pitch had not been as positive.

“Our revenues and profits were very healthy – we’re proud of that and its very important in attracting investment and new ownership.”

However, he added that too much of that profit under its current ownership currently went on servicing the £237m of loans owed to Royal Bank of Scotland which need to either be paid or refinanced next month.

“Can we afford to meet them? Just about. Do i wish every penny of that wa available to spend on players? Passionately.”

Responding to a question about whether either of the existing owners could complete a deak allowing them to refinance loans using club assets as security, Purslow said: “That would require board appoval and the other members of the board have made it clear that is not what we want to see happen.”

He said that the sale of the club to a suitable buyer was his top priority.

“The only thing worse than no sale is the wrong sale,” he said. However, he added that his backgreound as a financier meant that he understood the questions that he needed to ask of potential purchasers.

“I will not make the mistake of sanctioning any transaction that will put the club in a worse position. But I can’t make people write a cheque. Nobody can.”