Billionaire Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is eyeing a bid for English Premier league club Liverpool after Fulham spurned his advances last year, an advisor said on Monday.
"I believe the prime minister already had his aides checking Liverpool's financial position in the past four to five months," said Thawatchai Satchakul, manager of the Thai national soccer team who advised Thaksin during his pursuit of Fulham.
"He is now in the process of deciding whether to bid for Liverpool," Thawatchai told Reuters.
Liverpool, who were knocked out of the FA Cup on Sunday by Portsmouth and are trailing in sixth place in the English Premier league, declined to comment.
Liverpool Chairman David Moores has a 51 percent share in the club -- estimated to be worth around 40 million pounds ($73.74 million). His family built up the successful Littlewoods football pools and store chain and have had a controlling interest in the English club for 50 years.
Thaksin, who made his money in telecommunications, told reporters on Sunday he was still serious about buying an English Premier club.
"It should be a bigger club (than Fulham)," Thaksin said, but he declined to elaborate.
Thaksin expressed interest in Fulham last November after watching the club play in London.
But Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, the owner of London department store Harrods who has known Thaksin for years, said he had no intention of selling the club.
"His feeling now is similar to that five or six months ago when Fulham was in the picture. If you visualised him going shopping in a store, I would say the prime minister's eyes are now fixed on Liverpool," Thawatchai said.