Leeds says no buyer has been identified

Leeds United, the struggling Premiership football club, has said that none of the parties it is currently talking to wants to buy the company.

"The directors reconfirm that they are in continuing, constructive discussions with a number of parties regarding proposals to purchase the company's business and assets or to inject funds.

"However, none of these interested parties' proposals contemplates an offer for the company's shares," it said in a Stock Exchange statement.

The statement was prompted by a report from the Daily Mirror this morning that said Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, a member of the Bahrain royal family, was close to making an offer for Leeds.

Shares rose 40% this morning on speculation that he would buy the club for £35m (€50.8m).

The club is around £80m (€116m) in debt, and Leeds' creditors have given it until Monday to find new sources of finance.