Representatives of Saints owner Katharina Liebherr and Lander Holdings will meet with the Premier League today in a bid to try and advance a potential £210m Chinese takeover deal for the club.

The meeting comes amid allegations surrounding Lander founder Gao Jisheng, who like all prospective owners of Premier League clubs needs to pass the so-called ‘fit and proper persons test’.

Lander Holdings are hoping to get the green light to press ahead with the deal – believed to be £210m for 80 per cent of Saints - with their subsidiary, Lander Sports, having dropped out of the running.

READ: Saints takeover deal still alive >>>

However, the Daily Echo understands the reason for the change is due to regulatory issues, because Lander Sports are listed on the Chinese stock exchange whereas the parent company are not.

It is believed that though Liebherr’s representatives have spoken with numerous other parties interested in investment, Lander are by far the most advanced in terms of discussions and an ability to get a deal done.

Liebherr and her team have been at the heart of the deal, rather than those in power at St Mary’s. They have carried out their own due diligence on Lander and would appear to be satisfied they are fit to carry the club forward, and indeed progress it.

In her only public statement on the talks, issued at the end of January, Liebherr wrote: “A potential partnership would need to clear multiple approvals and fulfil strict criteria before being confirmed.

“The Premier League is increasingly competitive; we need to keep moving forward and look to new markets for commercial growth, innovation and to share our journey. Together we have had many years of progression and success, and ensuring this continues is the main focus of any possible partnership.”

Liebherr is keen for the club to continue to move forward in the way her late father Markus would want, but with her personal worth estimated at around £300m-£400m – meaning any sale would have a big impact on her personal finances too - clearly will not be able to fund the kind of lavish spending required to take Saints on the next step of their journey to become regular Champion League qualifiers.

Liebherr has already proved her loyalty to Saints by loaning the club a substantial amount of money, having pumped in all but about £15m of her family’s £69m investment in Saints.