RBS Offers Finance To Liverpool Buyers

Royal Bank of Scotland, a major creditor of English soccer club Liverpool Football Club, is supporting the club's sale by offering financing to potential buyers, banking sources familiar with the matter said.
Banking sources said that RBS was discussing financing terms with potential lenders before Friday's bid deadline.
"RBS is trying to facilitate the sale as much as possible and has even offered price talk of 500 basis points (bps) over LIBOR on the potential financing," one of the bankers said.
RBS could not immediately be reached for comment.
Creditors originally asked Liverpool FC's two owners, sports tycoons Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to pay down 100 million pounds ($157.5 million) of its debt of around 250 million pounds.
The two could not make the payment and the debt financing was amended and extended "at least six times" since 2008 before the club was put up for sale in April.
Several Middle Eastern buyers expressed interest but the owners could not agree a purchase price, the bankers said.
Barclays Capital is handling the auction process and bidders have been asked to submit bids with proof of financing on Friday, the bankers said.
The club is expected to fetch a price tag of around 400 million pounds or more, the bankers added.
According to British media reports, as many as six potential parties are looking to buy the 18-times English league champions.
One of those is Chinese-born American businessman Kenny Huang, who is said to have teamed up with China's sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp. [ID:nSGE67503F]
Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi said last week he was in the final stages of negotiations to buy Liverpool. ($1=.6350 POUND)