Source: Telegraph
Investors will make Liverpool sweat
Reported talks with the family of Kuwaiti billionaire Nasser Al-Kharafi have been met with an emphatic denial by his representatives, and Gulf sources believe the fact that rumours emerged of talks taking place is just a sign of Hicks's desperation to sell.[LNB]Investors believe that the current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, will be forced to lower their £500 million asking price as the July deadline for the repayment or refinancing of their £350 million loan from RBS and Wachovia approaches.[LNB]Should the American duo fail to strike a deal with one of "fewer than five" possible investors, the troubled banks could seize the asset or even call in an administrator to try to sell the club.[LNB]City sources suggest the chances of the loan being refinanced are close to zero, given the current plight of both banks. Other investment giants are believed to offer little hope of redemption unless there is a massive upward turn in the state of the market before the summer.[LNB]That leaves selling the club as the only viable option for Hicks and Gillett, but their efforts to do so thus far have brought little success, even as forced sellers. Telegraph Sport understands that Hicks has been actively seeking to sell the club for more than a year through investment bank Merrill Lynch.[LNB]One potential stumbling block could be Hicks's determination to retain a seat on the board at Anfield, something investors may be unwilling to countenance. With the threat of administration, though, such considerations may be sacrificed.[LNB]Such talk is hardly the ideal backdrop for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who insists he knew nothing about the latest development in the boardroom saga, ahead of today's FA Cup clash with Everton.[LNB][LNB]
