LONDON -- People with knowledge of the situation say a Singaporean businessman is preparing to make a new offer for Liverpool despite the board choosing to sell the Premier League club to the owners of the Boston Red Sox.
Two people told The Associated Press on Monday that Peter Lim originally matched the $476 million offered by New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Red Sox. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Lim's bid was considered at the same board meeting last week that approved the Red Sox deal, which is being blocked by Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. because they say it undervalues the club. The Royal Bank of Scotland obtained an interim injunction preventing Hicks and Gillett from firing the board members.
Hicks and Gillett tried to remove managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre from the board last week because they voted to sanction the $476 million sale to New England Sports Ventures.
RBS, which holds the bulk of Liverpool's debt, is claiming breach of contract because Hicks and Gillett forfeited control of the club to a new chairman, Martin Broughton, as the condition of extending the repayment deadline for their liabilities in April.
Broughton has insisted only he has the power to change the board and that Hicks and Gillett pledged not to "frustrate any reasonable sale."
RBS said Monday that Hicks' bid to replace Purslow and Ayre with his son and a member of his Texas staff was "in breach of those contractual undertakings."
RBS said the injunction was obtained Friday before a hearing Tuesday. Liverpool, whose parent company is Kop Holdings, has current debts and liabilities of about $453 million.
"Among other things, that interim injunction prevents Mr. Hicks or Mr. Gillett taking any steps to remove or replace Mr. Broughton from his position as chairman of the board of the Kop companies or from taking any other steps to appoint or remove any directors from the board of the Kop companies," the statement said.
"The proceedings tomorrow represent the continuation of Friday's proceedings and relates to breach of contract only."
RBS said the case at London's High Court on Tuesday is not an attempt to instigate the proceedings that could see Liverpool forced into financial administration, a form of bankruptcy protection. If Liverpool falls into administration, the club -- already in the relegation zone -- faces a 9-point penalty from the Premier League.
New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Red Sox, is pledging to wipe out all of Liverpool's debts.
Hicks and Gillett have said the Boston bid "dramatically undervalues" the club.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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