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Posted:
Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:53 amby NANNY RED
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:15 pmby dward
Arabs eye £500m Liverpool buy-out
Duncan Castles and Richard Wachman, City editor
Sunday January 13, 2008
The Observer
Sameer Al Ansari (left) is a Liverpool fan. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Action Images
Liverpool FC could change hands for the second time in a year as their American owners encounter difficulties in refinancing £350million of debt incurred in taking over and running the club.
Beset by the steeply rising costs of a new stadium and manager Rafa Benitez's demands for new players, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have been attempting to transfer the debt, for which they are personally liable, on to the club itself. City sources believe this is an extremely difficult task to complete before the loan's due date at the end of February.
It is possible that the Americans will meet the deadline, but if not an Arab investment group, Dubai International Capital, is understood to be close to lodging an offer to buy out the American pair, probably for about £500m. Takeover discussions are thought to be due before the end of this month.
If successful, DIC, led by Liverpool supporter Sameer Al Ansari, would invest heavily in two areas: the new stadium that Liverpool need if they are to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United for matchday revenue, and an improved playing squad. Were they also to acquire a new management team Jose Mourinho, who is known to be interested in managing Liverpool, would be a prime candidate.
DIC were extremely close to buying Liverpool last February, only to lose out to Hicks and Gillett when the club's chief executive, Rick Parry, switched his support from the Arab camp to the American. The latter paid £174.1m for a 100 per cent shareholding, also agreeing to take on the club's then debt of £44.8m.
The purchase, however, was funded solely with borrowed money, Hicks and Gillett's loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland swelling to £350m as it was used to fund several high-profile summer transfers, development work and architect's plans for a 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park, and to roll up the interest on the debt.
The RBS loan is due for repayment next month. The Observer understands that attempts to restructure it have so far failed and the Americans have yet to inject new equity into the refinancing.
While RBS have asked Hicks and Gillett to each commit £20m of their own cash to the deal, City sources believe that at least one of the pair is not prepared to do so. Hicks and Gillett declined to comment last night.
Meanwhile, work on 'New Anfield' has been held up by the impasse over the acquisition loan, with no chance of funding being put in place for the £400m stadium project until the issue is resolved. A meeting in New York last week at which architects HKS and AFL presented competing stadium designs, was described by Parry merely as 'another big step forward to finding the best possible solution. Everyone is reflecting on what they have heard and a clear decision will be taken soon'.
The global credit crunch has made it harder for Hicks and Gillett to raise new revenues elsewhere and also affected the value of their other assets. Should they fail in their efforts to repay the £350m acquisition debt on Liverpool when it comes due in just over six weeks, there would be the possibility of the next owner of the club becoming RBS.
The bank, however, are extremelyunlikely to allow the situation to develop that way. Nor are Parry and club honorary life-president David Moores, the former principal shareholder. Parry and Moores are horrified that the Hicks-Gillett deal has not thus far brought long-term financial stability to the club. As a consequence, there are increasing tensions between the Americans and other board members as the refinancing deadline approaches. Parry and Moores are understood to be open to a second takeover.
Sources in the Middle East have confirmed that DIC remain as keenly interested in buying Liverpool as they were one year ago. DIC last night refused to comment on the matter, but they appear best placed to resolve the financial problems affecting the club's competitiveness in the Premier League. A mooted valuation of £1billion has been ridiculed, but an enterprise value of around half that figure might prove acceptable, allowing the Americans to exit with a profit of £75m each.
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:53 pmby NANNY RED
For once i hope this isnt just goss
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:56 pmby HacksawJimDuggin
Please be true. These guys appear to be genuine LFC fans (unlike Hicks and Gillette).
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:03 pmby Cool Hand Luke
I really don’t think that DIC will be much better than the Americans. I think they will have a plan to maximise the value of the club and sell within 5-10 years. They will probably be just as out of touch with the realities of how the football side of the club works.
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:21 pmby account deleted by request
Cool Hand Luke wrote:I really don’t think that DIC will be much better than the Americans. I think they will have a plan to maximise the value of the club and sell within 5-10 years. They will probably be just as out of touch with the realities of how the football side of the club works.
The main difference as I see it, is that DIC have enough money to follow through on their promises, will want to build up the club both on and off the field, and may try to deal with any subsequent problems with a little more discretion than the "clowns" have.
If DIC build us up into a successful top team with a new stadium, with a strong commercial base and then after ten years sell us for a profit. Great!
Seems a little better than a pair of clowns who may get £75 million each for doing not much of anything.
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:18 pmby Bermenstein
Cool Hand Luke wrote:I really don’t think that DIC will be much better than the Americans. I think they will have a plan to maximise the value of the club and sell within 5-10 years. They will probably be just as out of touch with the realities of how the football side of the club works.
Anything has to be better than those 2 muppets 
we got strangling the life & soul out of our club.
Posted:
Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:25 pmby shanks
Bermenstein wrote:Cool Hand Luke wrote:I really don’t think that DIC will be much better than the Americans. I think they will have a plan to maximise the value of the club and sell within 5-10 years. They will probably be just as out of touch with the realities of how the football side of the club works.
Anything has to be better than those 2 muppets we got strangling the life & soul out of our club.
i agree and it will only get worse with them two unless 
at the helm
Posted:
Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:34 amby NANNY RED
Hope this gossip is true spoke to a friend of mine in Spain earlier they told me we was sniffing around a young lad from Villareal called Matias Fernandez apparently this kid is good can be used as a second striker or attacking midfield /playmaker maybe Sabre can shed some light on him apparently Rafa very keen on him
Posted:
Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:39 amby NANNY RED
oops sorry everyone all ready discussed this lad with Sabre in the rumour mill anyway from what i can gather this looks like one of Rafas possibilitys 
Posted:
Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:02 amby 66-1112520797
Internazionale boss Roberto Mancini has hinted that he could make a move for Liverpool's Mohamed Sissoko.
Juventus had looked set to sign the Malian international - currently away with his country ahead of the African Cup of Nations.
However, their president has now claimed that Juve will not be signing any players in January.
"Juventus will not make any acquisitions in the January transfer market," said Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.
"It's normal to dream of big players but in order for dreams to come true, we need to wait for the right moment to come along."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is happy to let Sissoko leave and admits there are other clubs looking at him.
"I was talking with 'Momo' about leaving a few times, and with his agent.
"We know we have two or three clubs asking about him and we will try to find the best solution for him and for us."
Inter interest
One those other suitors could be Inter, after Mancini confirmed his liking for the player.
"Sissoko? I think despite his young age he has big qualities and I think he could be an important player for whoever will be able to sign him," he told Sky Italia.
Inter, who just landed Maniche from Atletico Madrid, are looking to bolster their squad this month and Sissoko could be an ideal signing for the new boss
Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:01 amby NANNY RED
Ey are its off again i keep getting a dating one now for shirtlifters and errgh
Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:44 amby dawson99
im getting chinese love.com now LOL
Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:38 amby account deleted by request
I'm not getting anything........... nothing new there then 
Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:40 amby Ciggy
Im getting find a bird in the Philipines
No thanx 
