Singapore billionaire Peter Lim is set to buy a 50-per-cent stake in Salford City, the club which has been taken over by the “Class of 92”.
He has agreed a deal with former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.
Lim, a stockbroker, withdrew a bid to buy Liverpool for £320m in 2010 and is preparing to buy Valencia. He is worth £1.5bn, according to the Forbes rich list.
A statement from the “Class of 92” said: “When we set upon this journey we always knew at some point we wanted external partners involved, people who would share our vision for Salford City FC.
“We have all known Peter for over 10 years, his love of sport, above all football, is well documented. He has an incredible track record in business as well as youth and community engagement, especially at grassroots level.
“This will be fantastic for SCFC, Peter’s experience and knowledge is invaluable and can help take SCFC to where we believe they can be, it’s exciting times for the club.”
Salford’s chairman Karen Baird said: “The formal process of the takeover of the club has begun with the FA. It’s been a great start to the season, we are very excited about the future for the club and what can be achieved. The most important aspect for us is that we continue to bond with our community and city and we have assurances this will happen.”
Salford play in the Evo-Stik League, Division One North League, the eighth tier of English football.