Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow has dismissed weekend reports that suggested star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard may be sold this summer.
Speaking to the Liverpool ECHO Purslow said “The idea that we would ever wish to sell our top players is completely against the interests of this club.”
Purslow also discussed the club’s existing debts, explaining that they currently total £237m – not the over-exaggerated amounts the national media often claim, and that new investment into the club should be expected within the next few months, in order to reduce the level of debt and kickstart the new stadium project.
“Provided all goes well, there is a serious possibility of new fresh investment into Liverpool Football Club within the foreseeable future.”
He continued “There are no guarantees – we are operating in an environment where, as everybody knows outside football and in football, it hasn’t been the most active investment market for the last 18 months. But largely because of the quality of Liverpool Football Club, both as a club and as a business, we haven’t had problems in attracting interest.
“However, the devil is always in the detail and in coming months our job is to get somebody over the line that makes sense for all concerned.
“That could be part ownership or it could be complete ownership.”
Fresh investment should mean the new stadium becomes a reality, at last, “Slowly but surely on the strategic side, we are making progress towards finding new investment which is the key to unlocking a new stadium. And that stadium is the single event that will transform the financial prospects of Liverpool.”
Explaining that, “New investment in the next couple of months which reduces our existing debt to a very low level, to enable us then to push on with discussions with banks about financing the stadium.
“It’s that stadium which holds the key to us transforming our fortunes both economically and in football terms.
Speaking about the January transfer window, Purslow said:
“The position is that January in general is not a high priority time for Rafa in terms of player acquisitions. That is largely because of the lack of availability of top quality players.”
“Our plan – and what we are working on – is to try and improve the team; not to be so stupid as to reduce the quality of our squad.
“The suggestion in any way that we would sell players in order to pay down debt or pay money to our owners is preposterous. Neither is true. Neither is possible.
“Any proceeds we generate from the sale of players can only go into our player account for the recruitment of new players.”
