Liverpool agree deal to sign 15-year-old ‘wonderkid’

Liverpool have apparently agreed a deal to sign Notts County’s most promising youngster Jack Bearne.

A deal has been put in place that should see the 15-year-old ‘wonderkid’ make the switch to Liverpool’s academy for a reported £150,000 due to County’s financial crisis. The world’s oldest professional football club has been served a winding up petition from HMRC over an outstanding tax bill with reports suggesting they have debts in excess of £500,000.

Bearne made his Under-18 debut for County earlier this season at the age of 14.

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County owner Ray Trew, who is desperately trying to sell the club, believes the HMRC is treating clubs unfairly.

“Our petition will be settled ahead of the hearing and that’s all there is to it,” he said. “Firstly I want to know why this is even worthy of column inches when this is not news at all. Hartlepool and Bury have recently been in the High Court and this didn’t warrant a story, so why is Notts County a story? The only story you need to write about is why there are so many football clubs being issued with winding-up petitions by HMRC.

“If you search the London Gazette and indeed the court listings you will see the likes of Morecambe, Southend and Bolton have all in the last week or so been issued with petitions. The fact is HMRC do not treat football clubs like they do other businesses and you will need to speak to them or the Treasury as to the reasons why, but my feeling is we are low-hanging fruit.

“The fact is HMRC do not treat football clubs like they do other businesses and you will need to speak to them or the Treasury as to the reasons why, but my feeling is we are low-hanging fruit.

“Outside of football I own an accountancy practice and I have clients who not only owe vast sums – ten times what we owe – and are six months in arrears of PAYE but also maybe two quarters behind in their VAT, yet they don’t get issued with such petitions or indeed treated as we do in football.”