TRANMERE Rovers could follow Liverpool by becoming the second Merseyside football club to fall under the influence of American investors.

Club 9 Sports, a Chicago-based investment company, is understood to be in negotiations with Tranmere’s chairman and controlling shareholder Peter Johnson about a takeover at Prenton Park.

Birkenhead-born businessman Johnson has been seeking a buyer for his 60% stake at Prenton Park almost a decade, so far without success.

But that could be about to change. Club 9 Sports, who were in protracted but unsuccessful negotiations with Sheffield Wednesday last year, are understood to be in advanced stages of talks with Rovers.

The Wirral club operate with one of the smallest budgets in League One and areŠhard-pressed to break even on home gates which have often fallen below 5,000 this season.

Club 9 Sports boasts a background in owning or managing sports clubs and venues in the USA, notably in hockey, basketball and American football.

Its roster includes National Hockey League club Boston Bruins and National Basketball Association team Los Angeles Clippers.

Club 9 Sports say they take an “operational hands-on approach to sports organisations, whether through direct investment or client assignment” and claim to have “deep experience” in the sports/entertainment marketing.

They add: “By focusing on operation and finance we are able to improve the performance of companies and generate better revenues for our investors and clients.”

Club 9 Sports and Sheffield Wednesday were ultimately unable to agree on the level of investment at Hillsborough.

The Americans’ last offer in July was reported to be worth £5m upfront, £5m when Wednesday won promotion back to the Championship and a £6m write-down of the club’s £24m debt.

Owls’ officials argued the offer was worth considerably less and pointed up the issue of annual management fees of more than £400,000.

Wednesday’s future was resolved in November when Milan Mandaric bought the club for £10m.

The figures involving Tranmere are liable to be more modest. Rovers do not have a debt problem on the scale of Sheffield Wednesday, who were beaten 3-0 in a League One encounter between the teams this week.

Most of the debt at Prenton Park is owed to Mr Johnson in £5m-plus worth of loans and loan guarantees taken out since the founder of the Park food and finance group took control of his hometown club in 1987.

Mr Johnson has not charged interest on loans for many years.

The investment bankrolled Rovers’ climb from the bottom division to three play-off appearances in the division now known as the Championship during the 1990s, when international players such as John Aldridge and Pat Nevin graced Prenton Park.