Saturday, March 06, 2010

Manchester City Owner's Family 'Eyes Up Takeover Bid For Liverpool'


The Abu Dhabi royal family which owns Manchester City is believed to be weighing up a bid to buy Liverpool.

City is owned by one member of the Al Nahyan dynasty, Sheikh Mansour, but reliable sources claim the family are pursuing an interest in the Reds.

In order for such a deal to be sanctioned by the Premier League the family would have to prove the competition between City and Liverpool would in no way be affected.

But Premier League chiefs do not believe that would pose a problem, with one saying: ‘Sibling rivalry can be the strongest of competitive instincts.’

Liverpool’s current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would want around £400million to sell the club but their price may drop if the club fails to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The family’s interest at Anfield was first reported in December but, according to one source, the purchase of City has been viewed as a great success in terms of raising the profile of Sheikh Mansour, and this has intensified interest in Liverpool.

The source said: ‘City is viewed as having been a good move and now the family are interested in Liverpool.

'In the Far East, it is Manchester United that are the big club but in the Arab world it is Liverpool most people are mad about.’

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