Thursday, April 30, 2009

Liverpool Owners Deny Talks Over Indian Investment


Sources close to Tom Hicks insist Liverpool are not in discussions with the Indian billionaire Grandhi Mallikarjun Rao’s GMR group over either investing in the club or buying out the Texan and his co-owner, George Gillett.

A representative of the group, which owns the Delhi Daredevils IPL franchise, was present in the directors’ box for last Tuesday’s 4-4 draw with Arsenal but it is believed no talks have been held over possible investment in Liverpool.

Hicks and Gillett are due to repay a £350 million loan from RBS and the US bank Wachovia in July and are thought to have been in constant dialogue with both banks since January over ways to manage the debt, which include putting more personal equity into the club or paying off a slice of the loan.

Both men are looking for minority investors in their sports franchises, but have struggled to raise interest in the current climate, while City sources suggest any party able to finance a takeover at Anfield is likely to wait until the July deadline is imminent to ensure the best possible price.

Hicks,, who has said he is looking for new partners to invest in Liverpool from the Middle East, and Gillett have been assessing their personal financial situations amid the global economic crisis.

Both men were at Anfield last week to watch the 4-4 draw with Arsenal, a game also attended by Amanda Staveley, who was the chief negotiator for last year's failed takeover bid by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Staveley negotiated the Abu Dhabi United Group's buyout of Manchester City in September.

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