'Fulham takeover bid still on track'

The Turkish brothers linked with a move to buy Fulham have spoken publicly for the first time about their ambitious plans.

Despite denials from Fulham chairman Mohamed Fayed that the club is up for sale, the millionaire Falyali brothers say they still intend to launch a takeover bid.

Speaking from his base in northern Cyprus one of the brothers, Halil Falyali, 34, said: "It's true we are planning to buy the club. My brother met the chairman and financial director to discuss a deal. The club is not doing well at the moment, but we will turn it around."

Members of the Falyali consortium met with directors and toured Craven Cottage and the training ground this week.

But a club statement issued yesterday insisted the group were just investors and not looking to buy the club outright.

Falyali lawyer Timur Rustem said a deal was still possible. He said: "There is no formal deal at this stage.