Liverpool sale latest

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton says he hopes the club will be sold by the end of the summer.

Broughton was quizzed by press upon the press conference in which Roy Hodgson was unveiled as the club’s new manager. Broughton was hired by club owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to oversee the sale of the club.

“There have been no offers at this stage,” he admitted. “But we’re hopeful a deal can be done by the end of the transfer window.”

The current transfer window, which opened yesterday, closes on August 31st, with rumours abound of interest from businessmen as far away as Saudi Arabia and China.

Broughton also reassured fans that he will aim not to make mistakes of the past and find a suitable new owner for the club.

He added, “This is a willing buyer, willing seller auction. We will do a deal with what we consider to be the best bidder. The best bidder may not be the highest bidder.

“It’s about more than just money. It’s about stadium development, the team and the whole piece. One we’ve been through the process, the best bidder gets it.

“There haven’t been any offers to turn down and I wouldn’t have expected there to be at this stage. There are a number of interested parties but there’s no specific deadline on it.

“We are looking to the middle of July-ish for the first round of bids…and we are on course, pretty well, with where we would have expected to be.”