THE man spearheading a bid to capture Blackburn Rovers has spoken for the first time about his plans for a possible takeover.

In an exclusive interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, American-based businessman and boyhood Rovers fan, Daniel Williams, revealed his consortium could launch a move for the club at some point next month.

And the 30-year-old entrepreneur, who originally hails from Lytham St Annes, said his plans would include giving manager Mark Hughes substantial funds' to compete in the transfer market if his bid for control was to prove successful.

Williams, whose business interests include Princeton Global Housing, a US property firm that has contracts worth more than $1 billion, said:

l He is leading an American consortium made up of several large financial institutions
l He has been involved in takeover talks with Rovers for several months
l Money would be made available to spend on new players if his takeover was successful
l But any transfer treasure chest would not be of Roman Abramovich-style proportions
l The club's current hierarchy would 'probably' stay in place
l He is a long-standing Rovers fan and the club is one of his main passions.

Williams' group is just one of several thought to be interested in buying Rovers, and the former Cambridge graduate was quick to stress a takeover deal is not imminent.

But he is serious about trying to buy out the Walker Trustees, who currently own 99.8 per cent of the club and have indicated they would be willing sellers if a suitable buyer can be found.

Williams added: "We are at the very, very early stages of any kind of process.

"We've had a very good dialogue with John Williams and his vice chairman, David Brown, but a lot of what has been written is exceptionally premature.

"The whole thing about a deal being imminent and a price being agreed just isn't the case.

"I certainly haven't seen anything in the way of due diligence, and we haven't formally made an approach.

"It's very much at the conversational stage at the moment."