Thursday, August 12, 2010

Liverpool Bidder Kirdi Won't Pay Over The Odds

Prospective Liverpool owner Yahya Kirdi insists he will not pay any more for the club than it is worth and has warned any takeover would take "at least two months".

A range of groups have expressed interest in taking over Liverpool, and Kirdi issued a statement earlier this week saying he was "in advanced negotiations with Thomas Hicks and George Gillett, co-owners of Liverpool Football Club, to purchase 100% of the club".

Kirdi, though, has said the current owners have rejected two of his bids since they put the club up for sale in April and warned he would not overpay for the club.

"I can't pay one pound more than value of Liverpool," Kirdi told Bloomberg. "I'm not crazy."

Soccernet understands chairman Martin Broughton has yet to recommend a bidder on behalf of the board as he has yet to see proof of funds from any of the prospective bidders, and Kirdi has indicated that there is no prospect of a deal being completed before the close of the transfer window.

"I want at least two months, two months to see everything," he said. "After that if everything is OK it's a deal. If not, thank you very much."

He added: "I trust Martin Broughton and he'll decide who's good for Liverpool."

Given the negative perception of Hicks and Gillett among the club's supporters, Kirdi has said he is not "a cancer who takes money out of Liverpool".

"I've liked them since I was young," he said. "It's not important for me that I'm the owner of Liverpool. Whoever takes Liverpool must do good for the club."

Kirdi also said he felt new manager Roy Hodgson's more genial style would be far better for the club than the approach employed by his predecessor, Rafael Benitez.

"Rafael didn't do anything good for Liverpool," Kirdi said. "Hodgson is very good for Liverpool because he's not some kind of dictator."

The Royal Bank of Scotland could take charge of Liverpool if the club is not sold by October 6.

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