Stateside businessman revealed as head of struggling Salford’s buyout

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SALFORD’S American money man is set to get a close-up view of the carnage that has engulfed the club.

For SunSport can reveal Marlon Muller is the real head of the consortium that has taken them over.

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And he is set to fly into the country to try and tie up the stadium and land deal that would finally see investment come in.

That would also give him sight of how the Red Devils are struggling to meet April’s payroll, with even a payday loan company they used to cover wages last season not dealing with them.

SunSport understands talks are ongoing to find the cash from other sources among the 10-strong group that took the club on when the deal which was originally meant to be for stadium and land first are ongoing.

And Muller can be unmasked as the genuine moneyman fronting the group, which supposedly had Swiss-based Dario Berta at the top.

He runs LionCap, a huge private equity and investment firm which specialises in developments based around sports and community.

And he has been attending meetings as Heads of Terms on the deal they really want are close to being agreed.

It is also understood the firm is far from impressed with a Sky TV interview done by chief executive Chris Irwin ahead of Salford’s match against Leeds on Thursday.

Saia Kailahi and Curtiz Brown have been the men on the ground since the club deal was rushed in a two-week period in January.

Since then, the extent of Salford’s debts – believed to be £500,000 to HMRC, £500,000 to the Rugby Football League and a large amount to payday loan company WeDo – were really unearthed.

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And further player sales are not ruled out, even though letting Kallum Watkins, Tim Lafai, Brad Singleton and Marc Sneyd leave got rid of £600,000-a-year from the wage bill, plus about £120,000 in transfer fees.

Top of the priority list is covering April’s wages, but WeDo is believed to have said it would not provide any more money until the sum currently owed is paid back.

However, sources have told SunSport that even though it was made out investment to clear debts would be immediate, it is in fact within three months in what is described as a ‘poorly-worded contract.’