Henry claims binding Reds agreement

13 October 2010 15:00
Liverpool are poised for new American owners as John Henry claims to have "a binding agreement" with regard to the sale of the club. But on a dramatic day, Henry's main rival, the Singapore billionaire businessman Peter Lim, has urged the Liverpool board to consider his improved bid which was lodged on Tuesday. The battle for control, which follows an overwhelming victory in the High Court for creditors Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Liverpool against current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, may be a short affair if Henry's New England Sports Ventures (NESV) already have a signed and sealed deal. However, Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has admitted the need to "take legal advice" as to whether he has a duty to consider the increased offer from Lim that stands at £320million, an improvement of £20million on that from NESV. In a statement from NESV, however, Henry maintains his £300million bid is legally the only one on the table that has credence. "NESV welcomes today's High Court judgment, which is a huge step forward for Liverpool FC," said Henry. "NESV has a binding agreement in place with the board of Liverpool FC and we are looking forward to concluding the deal. We are ready to move quickly and help create the stability and certainty which the club needs at this time. It is time to return the focus to the club itself and performances on the pitch." While few would dispute Henry's sentiments, Lim will be reluctant to go away, particularly if Broughton discovers he has a legal obligation to explore the renewed offer further. Like Henry, Lim also welcomed the decision of the court, stating: "The way is now clear for the board to sell the club. I have delivered my offer to the board and believe my ownership represents the best option for the future of the club and it's supporters. I hope that when the board is reconstituted that it will not simply ratify a sale to NESV, but will consider all the offers before them. I am asking the board to run a full and fair process that enables all of the offers to be considered on their merits before the future of the club is decided."

Source: PA