Bassini in race against time to seal club deal

LAURENCE Bassini has said he has until June 30 to complete his takeover of Birmingham City.

The former Watford chairman is the front-runner to become the club’s new owner having claimed last week he has exchanged contracts on a deal that will see him take control at St Andrew’s.

Bassini believes he is close to completing a £35 million purchase and that the terms of the deal include bringing St Andrew’s back into the Blues fold. He yesterday revealed he has until the end of the month to finalise his takeover.

As things stand the 52-yearold is in pole position to become the club’s new owner and his fresh claim comes just a few days after there was an announcement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange confirming Vong Pech will be selling his 21.64% interest in Birmingham City plc.

The same announcement said there was not yet any agreement to sell the other 75% held by parent company Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd.

Bassini has also said he hopes to regain the academy’s Category One status, to address the repair works on the ground and to invest in the club’s Wast Hills training base.

Blues’ players returned for pre-season testing yesterday and are back at Wast Hills today. Fixtures for the new Championship season will be announced today (Thursday), with the campaign due to start in less than seven weeks. Blues are yet to sign any new players.

Bassini first tried to buy the club in 2021 and came back in towards the end of last season when it emerged Keith Harris had been acting as a conduit between the club’s Chinese owners and a then-unnamed British businessman.

Bassini says he will not be a director or chairman but, as owner, will instead appoint a board of ‘very experienced footballing people’.

Blues fan Paul Richardson, together with former Argentine footballer Maxi Lopez, is also hopeful of taking over at Blues but a source close to that bid has admitted to the Mail they have been forced to take a back seat after the owners committed to the Bassini option.

Meanwhile, Blues’ attempts to recruit a new goalkeeper are showing no signs of progress.

A move for Jack Butland appears to have hit the rocks as reports claim he is not interested in a move back to St Andrew’s, while Newcastle’s Freddie Woodman is also target. However, Preston are said to be leading the race to sign him.