Dealamaker Harris Says Liverpool Chinese Takeover Was Never Likely

Dealmaker Keith Harris has told Liverpool fans that talk of a Chinese takeover was never going to happen.

Last week Hong Kong-based businessman Kenny Huang - whose interest was allied to the Chinese government - pulled out of the bidding process, while Syrian-Canadian Yahya Kirdi's much-publicised interest has been treated with scepticism.

Harris said history has taught him that those who went public before an agreement had been reached rarely succeeded.

"The Chinese government involvement was always a bit far-fetched," he told the London Evening Standard.

"In any takeover situation, when people resort to announcing it to the media, you have to question the seriousness of the offer.

"If the name of the prospective buyer comes out before the deal is done then probably it is never going to be done.

"Look at when Chelsea was sold in 2003. My firm was advising the club and we only knew of Roman Abramovich on the Thursday before the deal was completed the following Tuesday."

Harris worked on a bid for Liverpool two years ago for Kuwaiti Nasser Al Khorafi, whom it is claimed agreed a deal for £300million up front and another £100million based on financial performance only to pull out at the last minute.

"He just lost his appetite. No explanation was forthcoming," added Harris.