Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow cannot rule out the club soon changing hands.

Purslow says the search for fresh investment is almost complete.

He told the Liverpool Echo: "It is in the public domain that the owners have been looking to bring new investors in to the club to pay down the club's existing debts - which are today about £237m - by way of issuing new shares, which would dilute their shareholding in the club. That process is ongoing.

"Inevitably, when you run an investment process of this kind in the early stages many, many people have a look.

"Much of the challenge in these processes is to sort out the serious and the real interest from people who are unlikely to make an investment.

"I think it is fair to say as we now move into the new year we are whittling down the interest to a smaller number - maybe a handful of serious groups who are interested in investing in Liverpool. In the coming couple of months, our job is to sort those into ultimately an investor who makes sense for everyone concerned.

"Provided all goes well, there is a serious possibility of new fresh investment into Liverpool Football Club within the foreseeable future.

"There are no guarantees - we are operating in an environment where, as everybody knows outside football and in football, it has not been the most active investment market for the last 18 months. But largely because of the quality of Liverpool Football Club, both as a club and as a business, we have not had problems in attracting interest.

"However, the devil is always in the detail and in coming months our job is to get somebody over the line who makes sense for all concerned.

"That could be part ownership or it could be complete ownership."