sport news West Ham owner David Sullivan is funding Laurence Bassini's proposed £35m bid ... trends now

EXCLUSIVE: David Sullivan is funding Laurence Bassini's proposed £35m bid to buy Birmingham City - and West Ham owner could regain control at St Andrew's if prospective buyer fails to repay £33m loan David Sullivan's investment company has agreed to loan Laurence Bassini £33m Birmingham City's Hong Kong-based owners are mulling over numerous offers Sullivan's loan offer makes clear he would take control in the event of a default Sullivan sold Birmingham 13 years ago to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung Any purchase agreed by the EFL would also have to be signed off by the FA

By Matt Hughes For The Daily Mail

Published: 22:30 BST, 10 May 2022 | Updated: 22:35 BST, 10 May 2022

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West Ham owner David Sullivan is funding a proposed £35million takeover of Birmingham City that could see him regain control at St Andrew's if the club's prospective buyer Laurence Bassini fails to repay the loan.

Sportsmail can reveal that Sullivan's investment company, Rickleford Limited, have agreed to loan Bassini £33m to buy City from Hong Kong-based owners Birmingham Sports Holdings, who want to sell and are mulling over numerous offers.

Sullivan's loan offer makes clear he would take control of 'the property assets of the club' in the event of a default, raising the prospect of him regaining control of Birmingham 13 years after selling to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung for £81.5m.

West Ham owner David Sullivan is funding a proposed £35million takeover of Birmingham City

Sullivan's company, Rickleford Limited, have agreed to loan Laurence Bassini (middle) £33m

Sullivan confirmed to Sportsmail that he had arranged loans for Bassini on a number of investments, but declined to comment on the details of the Birmingham bid. Bassini also declined to comment.

Sullivan's role in the Bassini offer for Birmingham came as a surprise to the EFL when they were contacted by Sportsmail on Tuesday and