A TAXPAYER takeover of Liverpool FC is very low on the Royal Bank of Scotland agenda, it emerged yesterday.

As the Anfield board studies bids to buy the club, fears have grown about how long it will take to complete the process.

Yesterday, we revealed any deal could take months, possibly as late as October, before official agreement is reached.

This would mean key discussions extending beyond the October 6 deadline, set by RBS, when they could call in their £237m debt.

Then, the bank could choose to take control of the club, and as RBS are 83% owned by the taxpayer, it would effectively render Liverpool nationalised.

But the Daily Post understands RBS are not making any sort of preparation for such a radical scenario.

Seven weeks away from that deadline, RBS are confident Kop chairman Martin Broughton and Barclays Capital, the investment bank brokering the deal, will secure a buyer. The bank, however, have not ruled out fining American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett as much as £20m if they do not complete a sale by the end of August.

Reports have suggested Hong Kong- based entrepreneur Kenny Huang is growing impatient with the continuing due diligence by Liverpool FC, but his team appeared to distance themselves from such claims.