Thursday, August 05, 2010

Premier League Monitoring Liverpool Sale

Premier League officials have held talks with at least one of the parties interested in buying Liverpool in accordance with new rules.

This season the League is introducing measures to tighten up the ownership and financial management of its clubs.

One of them requires new owners to pass the fit and proper persons test, 10 days before ownership is settled.

Although the Liverpool takeover is not yet at that stage, the League says it is monitoring developments closely.

Reds chairman Martin Broughton insists "several" bidders are still in the frame, with Chinese businessman Kenny Huang confirmed as being among them on Monday.

If successful, the Liverpool takeover will be the first to be subjected to the new rules, which will include the newly named owners and directors test.

Broughton has said he wants to complete a sale before the transfer window closes at the end of August, although the BBC understands a decision on a preferred bidder could be taken by the end of next week.

Following Portsmouth's slide into administration, the League has introduced a number of new regulations designed to avoid a repeat of what chief executive Richard Scudamore described as the "reputational damage" suffered by the competition.

From this summer, teams must submit far more detailed financial information to prove they are able to pay their debts to football creditors, while new owners must meet the League's board before a takeover is approved.

Scudamore said: "We recognise there is reputational damage when you have a Portsmouth situation. Every club gets tarred with the same brush - that football is a basket case, which it isn't.

"Whilst we will never eliminate the risk entirely, we believe we now have the measures in place to reduce the risk of another Portsmouth situation."

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