Work on Liverpool's new
stadium in Stanley Park could begin as early as April 2010, the
leader of Liverpool City Council
has told BBC Radio Liverpool.
Warren Bradley said Liverpool
have told the council they are "very close now to securing the
finances".
He added it would be "in April that hopefully, fingers crossed,
we'll see some activity on Stanley Park".
Construction on the new site in Stanley Park, which is next to
the Reds' current Anfield Stadium and has a planned 60,000
capacity, was frozen in August 2008 after preliminary work because
of the global financial conditions.
But in September Liverpool
co-owner Tom Hicks insisted it would go ahead once the financial
situation improved, and Liverpool City Council leader Bradley says the
club is now confident of securing the required cash in the first
three months of 2010.
"What they've said is they'll secure the finances in the first
quarter, so that's between January and March," he told BBC Radio
Liverpool.
"We've been pressing Liverpool Football Club to ensure that they
deliver the stadium and if they're not going to deliver it, to come
clean with the council so we can look at other options," said
Bradley.
"Liverpool Football Club have
come back to us and said they're very close now to securing the
finances and they want to move on as quickly as possible, not only
for the World Cup bid but also for Liverpool Football Club, who see a new stadium as
being the heart of the business plan."