Prospective new Liverpool owner Yahya Kirdi has added fresh confusion to takeover talk at Anfield after announcing that he wants 'at least two months' to consider a deal.
Sky Sports News reported on Monday that the former Syria international and his consortium of Middle East investors could sign an initial purchase agreement with the Premier League club before Sunday's season-opener against Arsenal.
The news raised hopes among some Liverpool fans, who are desperate to see the end of the co-ownership of George Gillett and Tom Hicks, although others have met Kirdi's interest with severe scepticism.
And fresh quotes from the businessman, which suggest that he could want a minimum eight weeks to think about completing any takeover, will add further uncertainty to the credibility of his approach.
"I want at least two months, two months to see everything," Kirdi is quoted in The Times as telling Bloomberg.
"After that, if everything is OK, it's a deal. If not, 'thank you very much'."
Kirdi has also risked the wrath of some Liverpool followers by suggesting that former boss Rafa Benitez did not do anything positive for the club, despite winning the UEFA Champions League in famous style in 2005.
"I've liked (Liverpool) since I was young," he said. "Rafael didn't do anything good for Liverpool.
"(Roy) Hodgson is very good for Liverpool because he's not some kind of dictator."
Sky Sports News reported that the consortium has agreed to pay off all of Liverpool's debts and that funds will be supplied to complete the planned construction of a new stadium in Stanley Park.