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By Nick Harris
15 August 2010
Liverpool’s managing director, Christian Purslow, has said this morning that “we’ve just received some written bids” for the club, but when asked a specific question about whether any bidder had provided proof of funding, he replied: “Not yet.”
Purslow, talking in a wide-ranging interview with Gary Richardson on the Sportsweek show on Radio 5, said it was a “source of great frustration and mystification” that some potential bidders had been talking in public about their interest. He did not specify who he meant, but the two most vocal bidding camps have been those connected to the Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi and to the Chinese businessman Kenny Huang.
Purslow confirmed Liverpool have yet to identify a front-running bidder to buy the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The club issued a statement on Friday that talked of “proposed bids” but as Purslow has confirmed, proof of funding has not been produced, yet.
Purslow described a Sunday Times story today that RBS could take control of Liverpool in October as “speculative”.
On the subject of players, Purslow there had never been a significant chance of Fernando Torres leaving. “Not at all, really,” was the phrase he used. On Steven Gerrard, Purslow said it was “not at all” likely Gerrard would have left either. Purslow added: “It’s not a secret he could have left probably for more money and easier medals” in the past, but had chosen to stay.
Purslow revealed Liverpool had interviewed five managers before appointing Roy Hodgson, and speaking about transfers between now and the end of the current trading window, he added: “I think there will be one or two more ins and outs”.
Purslow also revealed Javier Mascherano had wanted to leave the club for more than a year, for personal reasons, and that the player is “looking for a move”.
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