DECEMBER 16
Liverpool close to new
£124m investment

This is Anfield

Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are close to selling a £124million share in the club, according to this morning’s Daily Telegraph.

The paper suggests that Gillett met with potential investors in London last week, looking to sell £62million of his own shares and £62million of business partner Hicks’ shares in the club.

It is unknown whether the new investment would go to pay off the club’s debt, thought to be around £240million.

Liverpool press officer Ian Cotton responded to reports in The Mirror that the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates are seeking investment, refusing to be drawn on the reports, saying: “At the moment, we are not commenting on this speculation.” At the moment.

The news arrives a few days after Spirit of Shankly, the Liverpool Supporters Union, launched their ‘Not Welcome Here’ campaign and successfully prevented Tom Hicks and Foster Gillett access to Anfield for the Arsenal match.

OCTOBER 23
Kraft revives Reds interest

By Carla Hilton - Sky Sports

American businessman Robert Kraft says he is still interested in buying Liverpool.

Kraft, 68, first attempted to invest in the club in 2005 but was pipped to the post by fellow American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The pair have endured a troubled reign, though, whilst the club's financial situation appears to have gone from bad to worse.

Kraft, who owns the NFL franchise the New England Patriots, admits he is still interested in buying the Anfield outfit having been denied on the first occasion.

However, he does admit the Premier League should introduce a salary cap knowing the financial plight so many high-profile clubs have encountered.

Asked if he were still interested in buying the Reds, he said: "Yeah, in the right situation. I love the game.

"I've said this before - I love competing with fair management - how well I can manage against you. [But] I don't like losing and at some point it's not economic, people just throwing money at it.

"I wanted to do the deal up there but in the end we only go into business ventures where we think we can compete at a high level. Because we like winning, and we like to win consistently."

Kraft boasts three Super Bowl titles (2001, 2003 and 2004) since buying the Patriots in the mid-1990s.

He is due to arrive in London on Friday night ahead of their match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley this weekend - the third time the NFL has played a regular season game in the United Kingdom.

OCTOBER 17
Saudi firm says Liverpool
stake talks on hold

By Souhail Karam - Reuters

Private Saudi sports investment firm F6 said on Saturday that talks with George Gillett, the American co-owner of English football club Liverpool, to buy a stake in the club are on hold.

Gillett arrived earlier this week to Riyadh sparking speculation that the visit will push towards the conclusion a deal with F6 owners, who include Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah and Saudi businessman Majed al-Hugail.

"The purchase of a stake in Liverpool has not been discussed throughout Gillett's visit, not for even five minutes," F6 Deputy Managing Director Gassim Hamidaddin told Reuters.

"The discussions are now on hold. The idea of buying a stake in Liverpool was put on the table in September but since then nothing happened," he added.

Investors from Gulf Arab countries have shown growing interest in acquiring soccer clubs in the English Premier League.

In August, United Arab Emirates' investor Sulaiman al-Fahim completed a takeover of Portsmouth Football Club before reselling later a large stake in the club to a Saudi businessman.

Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment bought Manchester City last year.

F6 is focusing on implementing the terms of a contract it signed last month with the George Gillett Group that would lead to opening Liverpool academies in the Middle East and North Africa and develop race tracks to introduce NASCAR motor racing to the Middle East.

"That's what was discussed during Gillett's visit," Hamidaddin said.

Liverpool are keen to raise fresh cash to help challenge for top footballing honours and fund the construction of the new stadium, as well as finance debt estimated at 245 million pounds.

Liverpool is England's most historically successful club, with 18 league titles and five European Cup triumphs.

Last month, Al-Riyadh newspaper quoted F6 Chairman Prince Faisal as saying he was willing to pay between 200 million and 350 million pounds ($318 million to $556.5 million) for between 25 and 50 percent of the Anfield Stadium side.

Gillett and fellow American Tom Hicks -- Liverpool's co-owner -- have had a stormy relationship since purchasing the club for 218.9 million pounds in 2007 and neither wants to sell his stake to the other.

The two men were in talks in January to sell the club for 500 million pounds including debt to investors from the region, including Kuwait, but talks broke down over price, one of those involved said.

OCTOBER 16
Confusion reigns over Gillett
and Hicks investment quest

By Ian Doyle - Liverpool Daily Post

Confusion continues to reign in the quest of Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to attract new investment.

Gillett has now dismissed claims Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah is close to buying a significant stake at Anfield.

The American has been in Riyadh this week, a visit he has stated is only to discuss the agreement with Prince Faisal’s F6 investment company to set up a number of academies in the Middle East.

“We – and the Prince supports this – categorically deny we had any conversation along those lines,” said Gillett. “The purpose of my trip is to talk about Liverpool football academies and stock car racing.

“We may discuss (buying into Liverpool) at some point in the future. But I say again that is not on our agenda. There have been no discussions.”

OCTOBER 14
Liverpool talks close to conclusion

Football 365

The Saudi prince keen to buy shares in Liverpool has confirmed talks are close to a conclusion.

Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah revealed that following extensive meetings with Liverpool co-owner George Gillett, his F6 investment company could reach an agreement for the purchase soon.

"Our negotiations to buy shares in Liverpool are ongoing, meetings are taking place and we might be in the final stages in the coming days," Prince Faisal said.

Prince Faisal's initial negotiations with Gillett were said to be merely over establishing a Liverpool academy in the Middle East, but it appears those talks have progressed to include investment in the club.

Gillett has been in Riyadh in the last week to discuss Prince Faisal's investment, and it has been reported that he wants to sell his entire 50% holding in Liverpool.

This could be complicated by a rumoured agreement between Gillett and partner Tom Hicks, by which one partner has first refusal on the other's shares, and must grant permission if they are sold to a third party.

OCTOBER 10
Gillett and Hicks agree to split up
- 'for the good of the club'

By Joe Bernstein - The Daily Mail

Liverpool's warring co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have agreed to split up for the good of the club.

In a significant change of policy, Hicks has decided to no longer stand in the way of Gillett if he wants to sell his 50 per cent stake to Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia or another investor.

The shift in attitude from Hicks — who can veto any plans Gillett has to sell up — will be welcomed by Liverpool fans, who have seen the club placed in gridlock because of conflict between the owners.

But Hicks who, unlike Gillett, remains a supporter of manager Rafa Benitez, has told Prince Faisal and other prospective owners he intends to retain his own 50 per cent stake.

A source close to Hicks said: "Tom would be open to considering someone interested in buying George Gillett’s shares, but is still committed himself longterm. Rafa also has Tom’s full support as manager.

"He sees the early defeats this season as a wake-up call but believes the Premier League is more competitive in general this season.

"Despite losing at Chelsea, he is consoling himself with the fact they still have to come to Anfield."

Prince Faisal has been to Anfield this season as Gillett’s guest and is weighing up a £200million bid to buy his half of the club despite reservations over the levels of debt.

Ideally however, the Saudi billionaire would prefer to own the club outright.

Liverpool have lurched from one crisis to another since Hicks and Gillett bought the club in 2007. The promised new stadium at Stanley Park has been delayed and Hicks held Gillett responsible for setting up a meeting with Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible replacement for Benitez.

Hicks blocked Gillett’s attempts to sell his stake to a Dubai company in 2008 but now understands Liverpool can no longer move forward while their partnership resembles a broken marriage.

OCTOBER 8
Saudis consider Liverpool offer

By Simon Austin - BBC Sport Online

Prince Faisal could bid for a major stake in Liverpool but has concerns about the club's debt and relationship between its owners, a key aide says.

Co-owner George Gillett will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to hold further talks with the Saudi Royal.

"His Highness's shareholding could go from anything from nought
to 100%," Barry Didato told BBC Sport.

"But he cannot be seen as a solution to the debt or problems in the existing relationship between the owners."

The relationship between Gillett and his co-owner Tom Hicks has been strained for some time.

Each has a 50% stake in the Premier League club, yet neither can sell shares without the other's approval.

Prince Faisal, whose full name is Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, has only been holding talks with Gillett so far.

And Didato - director of strategic investments for the Saudi prince's investment vehicle, F6 - said the pair had established a "chemistry and shared vision".

The fractious relationship between Liverpool's American co-owners is a concern, though.

"His Highness would not want to get involved in (the problems between the pair), he is not a marriage counsellor," Didato said.

He added that the Saudis has concerns about the high debt levels at the club.

"The debt has to be at a manageable level before Prince Faisal would invest and the current level is high," he said.

"He cannot be looked to as someone who is going to clean up the balance sheet - Gillett has to deal with this."

Didato said Prince Faisal was flexible about how big a stake he might take at Anfield.

"His Highness does not need to be a majority shareholder and a takeover has not been his focus," he said.

Last week Hicks and Gillett issued a statement in response to reports that Prince Faisal was ready to bid for a 50% stake in Liverpool.

The duo admitted they were looking to attract new investment to the club but added: "The process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate."

F6 has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Liverpool which will lead to the creation of football academies in North Africa and the Middle East and the deal also covered the possible establishment of a Nascar franchise in the area.

Didato insisted Prince Faisal's involvement with Liverpool could only be a good thing for the club and its fans.

"His Highness is an extraordinary man who is passionate about football," he said. "He has a tremendous respect for Liverpool and their fan base.

"He only wants what is best for them and is one of those rare breeds of investor who is in it for the long haul."

OCTOBER 1
Saudi prince put off by club debt
and issues between owners

By Adam Fraser - SportsPro Media

Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, a member of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia who claimed this week that he was close to agreeing a deal to invest in English soccer club Liverpool, has now spoken out about the ongoing tension between the club's American owners.

Liverpool and members of Fahd bin Abdullah's own company moved swiftly to distance themselves from his claims this week, with the club's owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, admitting that they have retained Bank of American Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to advise on possible investments but saying that any talks are in preliminary stages.

Fahd bin Abdullah attended the match against Hull last weekend to discuss tie-ups between F6, his investment company, and Gillett's Richard Petty Motorsports Nascar franchise, as well as the possibility of establishing Liverpool-supported youth academies in Saudi Arabia, but subsequently said to the press that he was keen to invest in up to 50 per cent of the club. Now he appears to be putting the confusion that followed down to a misunderstanding between the club's owners.

"It's clear to everyone that there is some sort of misunderstanding between Gillett and Hicks," Fahd bin Abdullah told Saudi television. "We are not there to pacify between them."

Meanwhile, F6 director Barry Didato has spoken out about the issue of the club's hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, secured through loans from RBS and Wachovia. "As far as investment in Liverpool is concerned, that would be a long way off," he said. "A lot of people have jumped the gun and any possible investment would be several months away. The agreement signed leaves the door open for it, but that was certainly not the focus of it. Another issue is the club's debt. Prince Faisal will not put forward investment capital to just clean up a balance sheet. He would only want to use money to take the club forward."

Thor Zakariassen ©