A member of Bahrain's royal family said on Tuesday he might bid for debt-ridden English soccer club Leeds United, providing a possible rescue for the club whose fortunes have slumped both on and off the pitch.

Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, widely reported to be an avid supporter of the club, said in a statement to the London stock exchange that he was at an early stage in exploring a number of options to assist Leeds "that may or may not lead to an offer being made."

Leeds tasted the heights of the semi-finals of the prestigious European Champions League in 2001, but are currently languishing at the bottom of England's Premiership after a string of defeats.

Its share price has similarly suffered. Its shares closed unchanged at 3.75 pence on Tuesday, giving Leeds a stock market value of around just 8.25 million pounds ($14 million).

However, like many soccer clubs Leeds has a far greater debt burden of around 80 million pounds due partly to the rising wages of star players and the costs of improving its stadium, and the club has said it might have to call in administrators.