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LIVERPOOL, England, March 29 (Reuters) - Liverpool said on Wednesday that chairman David Moores could sell his majority stake in the 2005 European champions.
In a statement to the London stock exchange the Premier League club said talks were ongoing with a shortlist of potential investors, although a club source said no announcement was imminent.
Liverpool have been seeking an injection of funds over the past two years to reclaim their place at the top of English soccer and fund a new 170 million pounds ($296 million) stadium.
The 18-times English champions last won the league title in 1990 and have lived in the shadows of Manchester United and Arsenal, and more recently Chelsea, who have benefitted hugely from a takeover by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
"There is no imminent investment about to take place. We are still talking to various groups," the club source told Reuters.
Spanish businessman Juan Villalonga is the latest name to be linked with the club.
Without revealing any details of potential investors, a statement from Liverpool confirmed that Moores would consider selling some, or all, of his controlling 51.5 percent stake.
"Although the structure of any such investment is uncertain, it may include an offer for the entire share capital of the club. Shareholders will be kept updated as appropriate," the statement read.
The Liverpool board expected a share valuation of around 200 million pounds ($348.5 million), a source close to the situation said on Wednesday.
In the 2005 financial year, turnover rose 32 percent to 121 million after Liverpool's success in the Champions League and a 21.9 million loss was turned into a 9.5 million pre-tax profit.
CONSIDER SELLING
A spokesman for the club's advisers PricewaterhouseCoopers said Moores would consider selling his stake in return for the right level of additional investment.
"First and foremost the board wants new investment into the club. If that means the chairman selling some of his stake he would consider it," the spokesman said.
"I don't think he would sell his entire stake -- it would depend on the amount of new money, the (share) price and (ownership) structure, and who the parties were."
Liverpool have been linked with numerous investors since news broke that the club had held talks with the Thai prime minister Thaksin Shiniwatra in March 2004.
Local businessman Steve Morgan, media investment group L4 and the American Kraft family have also previously confirmed interest in buying Liverpool shares.
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