Liverpool shirt sponsors Carlsberg has blasted the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, for their part in delays to the building of their new 60,000 seater stadium.
And in a stinging attack on the controversial pair, the Danish brewery insists it is an open secret that the Anfield club is up for sale.
Work on the club's new stadium, which began in June, has been delayed due to the increasing cost of finance.
The Barclays Premier League leaders have denied claims they are considering redeveloping Anfield or even sharing a new ground with neighbours Everton to quell rumours that the plans for a new stadium could be in long-term jeopardy.
But speaking to The Guardian, Keld Strudahl, Carlsberg's international marketing director, said: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed.
"That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."
And the lager giants, whose relationship with Liverpool stretches back 16 years, have risked the wrath of Hicks and Gillett after admitting it would be happy doing business with Dubai International Capital (DIC) — who have longed been linked with an Anfield takeover.
"We want the owners to say whether they intend to keep the club," Strudahl said.
"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them.
"We had a good dialogue with them before Hicks and Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.
"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs.
"At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."
DIC's previous attempts to take control at Liverpool have been unsuccessful due to Hicks' unwillingness to sell his half of the club - though Gillett is willing to surrender his 50 per cent stake.
But Strudahl fells Hicks and Gillett might be interested in selling if they received the right offer.
He said: "That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now. The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit."
And in a stinging attack on the controversial pair, the Danish brewery insists it is an open secret that the Anfield club is up for sale.
Work on the club's new stadium, which began in June, has been delayed due to the increasing cost of finance.
The Barclays Premier League leaders have denied claims they are considering redeveloping Anfield or even sharing a new ground with neighbours Everton to quell rumours that the plans for a new stadium could be in long-term jeopardy.
But speaking to The Guardian, Keld Strudahl, Carlsberg's international marketing director, said: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed.
"That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."
And the lager giants, whose relationship with Liverpool stretches back 16 years, have risked the wrath of Hicks and Gillett after admitting it would be happy doing business with Dubai International Capital (DIC) — who have longed been linked with an Anfield takeover.
"We want the owners to say whether they intend to keep the club," Strudahl said.
"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them.
"We had a good dialogue with them before Hicks and Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.
"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs.
"At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."
DIC's previous attempts to take control at Liverpool have been unsuccessful due to Hicks' unwillingness to sell his half of the club - though Gillett is willing to surrender his 50 per cent stake.
But Strudahl fells Hicks and Gillett might be interested in selling if they received the right offer.
He said: "That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now. The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit."
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