Much as ______，Icouldn’t lend him the money because I simply didn’t have that much cash.
尽管我想借钱给他，但没法借，由于我没那样多闲钱。
为何这里用 I would have liked to，不需要 I would like to have？
“我想借钱给他” 是真实的过去发生的状况啊？
would have liked to 表示未能达成的过去愿望。这个句子大致等于 I would have liked to lend him the money, but I couldn't do it because I simply didn't have that much cash. 这种句子中，第一分句用虚拟语气表示未能达成的过去计划、意图、计划、愿望，but后的分句用陈述语气讲解为何这类计划、意图、计划、愿望未能达成。比如，I had wanted/planned/intended/meant to do sth, but ... ；或者 I wanted/planned/intended/meant to have done sth, but...。would have liked=had wanted。你的句子没用并列结构，而是把but后的分句做主句，虚拟语气部分用as引导的让步从句表示。假如你用would like to，则仅仅表示过去的愿望，这个愿望是不是达成是不能而知的，与这个语境不符。这里明显表示这个过去愿望是未能达成的。
