Former Barcelona and AC Milan striker Maxi Lopez is being linked with investment in Birmingham City.

The club remains owned by Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited under Chinese majority shareholder Paul Suen. He wants to retain his stake in Birmingham to keep his company’s listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange but is now speaking to investors about selling a stake worth up to £30million, says the Mirror.

These include Lopex, 38, who used to play for Barcelona, and Argentine businessman Christian Codoma, who is the owner of Maxco Capital in London and runs Global Stars Management in Hong Kong. The pair are being advised by former Birmingham City vice-chairman Sammy Yu, who introduced ex-owner Carson Yeung to the club and helped him before Yeung’s fall from grace for money-laundering, which saw him later jailed for six years in March 2014.

Brum are considering giving Lopez and Codoma seats on the board and a two-year agreement to run the St Andrews outfit. But former Watford owner Laurence Bassini is also keen on buying into Birmingham and is trying to arrange funding. Bassini was chairman of Watford from 2011-2012 before selling up to the Pozzo family.

Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!