Reports from the Middle East indicate that Dubai International Capital (DIC) are ready to re-launch their Liverpool takeover bid, as tensions mount between manager Rafael Benitez and the club's current owners.
DIC attempted to take control of the Merseyside club in March, but their £400million bid was rebuffed despite the widening rift between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The Arab firm had planned to buy out Gillett's majority stake with the aim of then challenging Hicks for sole ownership by offering up cash for the club's new stadium, which the Americans have so far struggled to do.
But Hicks, the more prominent of the co-owners, vetoed that deal and relations have since improved between him and his business partner.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the pair's associations with Benitez.
The Spanish tactician has had to operate under strict sell-before-buy guidelines in the transfer market, and to his credit had been doing so with a minimum of fuss as he offloaded the likes of John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch before signing Andrea Dossena and Robbie Keane.
However, Benitez had been under the impression that he would be allowed to fork out the £18million required to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa without selling Xabi Alonso, whose proposed move to Juventus collapsed earlier in the summer.
Either the owners have reneged on their promise or a massive miscommunication has occurred, because Hicks and Gillett have told the manager that Barry is not needed while Alonso is still in the squad.
It is not the first time during the Americans' short reign at the club that Benitez has been told certain targets are off-limits, and this latest case will only further infuriate both he and the fans - who, despite their backing of Alonso, have been equally supportive of Rafa's designs for the team's progress.
Hence, a DIC takeover would be widely welcomed, and Dubai newspaper The National claims that the firm are set to refresh their bid.
A source close to the DIC directors said: "Just because it is has been a quiet summer does not mean DIC have lost interest. They are happy that things have now become low key, and they are awaiting developments."
DIC attempted to take control of the Merseyside club in March, but their £400million bid was rebuffed despite the widening rift between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The Arab firm had planned to buy out Gillett's majority stake with the aim of then challenging Hicks for sole ownership by offering up cash for the club's new stadium, which the Americans have so far struggled to do.
But Hicks, the more prominent of the co-owners, vetoed that deal and relations have since improved between him and his business partner.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the pair's associations with Benitez.
The Spanish tactician has had to operate under strict sell-before-buy guidelines in the transfer market, and to his credit had been doing so with a minimum of fuss as he offloaded the likes of John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch before signing Andrea Dossena and Robbie Keane.
However, Benitez had been under the impression that he would be allowed to fork out the £18million required to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa without selling Xabi Alonso, whose proposed move to Juventus collapsed earlier in the summer.
Either the owners have reneged on their promise or a massive miscommunication has occurred, because Hicks and Gillett have told the manager that Barry is not needed while Alonso is still in the squad.
It is not the first time during the Americans' short reign at the club that Benitez has been told certain targets are off-limits, and this latest case will only further infuriate both he and the fans - who, despite their backing of Alonso, have been equally supportive of Rafa's designs for the team's progress.
Hence, a DIC takeover would be widely welcomed, and Dubai newspaper The National claims that the firm are set to refresh their bid.
A source close to the DIC directors said: "Just because it is has been a quiet summer does not mean DIC have lost interest. They are happy that things have now become low key, and they are awaiting developments."
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