Liverpool High Court Hearing To Be Held On Tuesday After RBS Gain Injunction Against Board Member Firings

Liverpool's hearing to decide if NESV can finally take over the club, will take place at 10:30 am on Tuesday, at the High Court.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, who are the club's major creditors, have taken the case to court to ascertain a legal decision on whether NESV's proposed takeover of the Reds is legal.

One of the club's current American owners, Tom Hicks, is contesting the legality of the sale because he says board members Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre were sacked before they and chairman Martin Broughton agreed to the sale of the club to NESV (New England Sports Ventures).

Broughton, Purslow and Ayre agreed to the sale despite owners George Gillett and Hicks voting against it, and the Premier League subsequently approved the new owners. But the dispute over the status of the board had thrown the takeover into some doubt.

RBS have now revealed that they obtained an injunction against Hicks on Friday, preventing him from changing the make-up of the board (by removing Purslow, Ayres and Broughton) until after the case had been heard.

They are claiming Hicks and Gillett breached their agreement with the bank by attempting to remove Broughton, the British Airways chief, after all parties agreed to his appointment in April so he could find a suitable buyer for the club.

"RBS, in its capacity as lender to the Kop group of companies, received the benefit of various contractual undertakings from Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett in relation to the corporate governance arrangements that Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett agreed would apply to the Kop group of companies with effect from April 2010," a statement from the bank reads.

"Those undertakings provided for the appointment of Mr. Broughton as chairman of the board and the appointment of the chief executive and commercial director of LFC to the Kop boards.

"As is well known, Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett purported to make changes to those corporate governance arrangements on 4 October. This was in breach of those contractual undertakings.

"In light of that purported breach of contract RBS sought and obtained on Friday 8 October 2010 an interim injunction against Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett until a further hearing scheduled for tomorrow [Tuesday].

"Among other things, that interim injunction prevents Mr. Hicks or Mr. Gillett taking any steps to remove or replace Mr. Broughton from his position as chairman of the board of the Kop companies or from taking any other steps to appoint or remove any directors from the board of the Kop companies."

The sale will likely go through as planned if the court finds in favour of RBS. If Hicks is successful in his argument, however, he will have to find a new buyer before the bank's crucial loan deadline of October 15 or the club could fall into administration.

The American owners are unhappy with the sale to NESV because they will leave the club without a return on their £140 million investment.

NESV's takeover will completely wipe out the debts owed to RBS by Gillett and Hicks, including the interest payments owed on the debts.

The case will take place in Court 18 in front of Mr. Justice Floyd. Liverpool fans are expected to go travel to London to protest against the American owners.

Liverpool Set To Receive New Offer For The Club From Rival Singaporian Bidder

Liverpool’s ownership saga may not be over as the club looked set to receive another bid from Asia.

A report from the BBC suggests that billionaire Peter Lim, who was the runner-up in the original bidding, is to approach the Anfield board to make a higher offer for the club.

Sources close to Mr. Lim have indicated he was Liverpool’s preferred choice in the closing stages of the auctions.

Allegedly, Mr. Lim was so confident with his proposals, he had talks with Martin Broughton on the best way to announce his takeover. The Singaporean businessman's offer was similar to the bid by John Henry’s New England Sport Ventures (NESV), and would pay off all of Liverpool’s outstanding debt and offer £40million of working capital.

Unlike Liverpool’s current owners, Mr. Lim was also planning to finance his takeover with his own money, and not rely on loans from banks.

Besides the glittering prospect of a debt-free club, Lim was planning to provide Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson with substantial funds to spend on improving the team.

Liverpool are in the bottom three in the Premier League and have been overshadowed by takeover talks for the whole of the current campaign, and much of last season.

According to Mr. Lim’s sources, the Anfield board were concerned by NESV’s intentions to borrow some of the money to finance their deal, fearing the club would not actually be free of the financial restrictions they’re experiencing under George Gillett and Tom Hick’s current steerage.

NESV have promised they will not saddle any debt on to the club. Even so, Mr. Lim is keeping an eye on the ownership court case on Tuesday.

NESV Has No Intention Of Losing Liverpool To Lim

ESPNsoccernet can disclose New England Sports Ventures (NESV) has a watertight contract to purchase Liverpool and has no intention of relinquishing that right despite a late attempt from Singapore businessman Peter Lim to launch a rival takeover bid.

The Liverpool board has agreed to sell the club to NESV for £300 million but their ability to do so has been challenged by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Tuesday's High Court hearing will help to determine whether the takeover has the legal basis to reach completion.

But Lim, who is being advised by the British firm of lawyers Macfarlanes and by the Wong Partnership of Singapore, is preparing a rival offer and hopes to outbid NESV to take control of Liverpool.

It is understood that Lim's interest forced NESV to increase its original offer last week, leading the group, fronted by John W Henry, to emerge as the favoured party. Lim believes his offer was at least as attractive as that on the table from the owners of the Boston Red Sox.

It is being reported by the BBC that Lim was told Liverpool's board was concerned that NESV would have to borrow to finance the takeover. But Henry's group has insisted it will not load up the Premier League side with debt.

The American group's £300 million agreement is signed and sealed, pending High Court hearings this week which will address the issue of whether chairman Martin Broughton and the board had the authority to sell the club against the wishes of the co-owners, who stand to lose £144 million if the NESV deal goes through.

Clearly Lim is looking closely at the opportunity that might arise if Hicks should win his court case, nullifying the NESV deal, and the club ends up in administration on Friday, when the deadline expires for the Americans to repay Royal Bank of Scotland £237 million.

Lim owns several Manchester United-themed bars in Asia and according to Forbes magazine is said to have a £1 billion fortune.

Liverpool Prepare For £95m Triple Swoop As Arsenal, Manchester City And AC Milan Prepare Star Bids

Liverpool are preparing themselves for an influx of bids for their top performers in the event that the club falls further from grace and finds itself in an unaccustomed position of having to fight a relegation battle that may ensue if the club is handed a nine point penalty for entering administration.

Arsenal are reportedly ready to reignite interest in Anfield keeper Pepe Reina, whilst Man City still harbour hopes of snaring unhappy Spaniard Fernando Torres whilst Ac Milan are eyeing up a big money move for Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

The Merseyside club had looked like they were about to be saved by the New England Sporting Ventures offer for the club but co-owner Tom Hicks is refusing to budge leaving the club on the edge of a dangerous precipice as they prepare for a court case to resolve ownership issues.

Arsene Wenger had already reportedly made an offer in the region of £15m for the consistently performing Spanish international and the need for the Gunners to replace Manuel Almunia is ever more pressing after further errors from the Emirates number one. The Arsenal boss is apparently not convinced that Lukasz Fabianski is viable number one material hence a renewed attempt to snap up the 28 year old Pepe Reina.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini still has ambitions of snapping up Liverpool goal machine Fernando Torres and will push ever harder to achieve what seems an unlikely goal and hopes that the promise of the club’s potential title aspirations as well as a healthy pay rise may make the former Atletico Madrid man consider a move to Eastlands. A move that would cost the cash rich club in excess of £50m to complete.

New Ac Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri is known to be a huge admirer of England man Steven Gerrard and will also attempt to lure an Anfield star to the club should things get even worse at the club. It is thought that the club may look to secure funds to make a significant bid for the 30 year old Whiston Wonder and the Serie A side may believe that after 13 seasons at the club he may consider a new challenge and if so would only leave Liverpool for a move abroad.

Roy Hodgson will hope to fight off any interest resulting into actual sales but he will know that if the club does face a nine point penalty then things could get a hell of a lot worse than they currently are. Many supporters had probably wondered if it was possible to despise Tom Hicks any more than they already did, well it seems that hatred for the American has in fact sunken to depths hitherto thought unimaginable.

Reina Wants Out As Hodgson Joins "Great Dane" Chase

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina is rumoured to be unsettled at Anfield and has reportedly alerted the Reds hierarchy to his state of mind with manager Roy Hodgson subsequently joining the chase for Aalesund goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard. It is understood that the highly rated Danish stopper will seek a move to one of the Premier League's top clubs in January.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and an un-named Spanish club are thought to have joined the race for Reina who has been linked with a move away from Anfield since the start of the summer.

Lindegaard, 26, is also being monitored by Arsenal, as well as Aston Villa, Manchester United, AC Milan and Bayern Munich, however, no formal bids have been lodged with his club. The goalkeeper is now actively encouraging offers as he looks to seal a move to top European club in the January transfer window.

Sir Alex Ferguson has sent goalkeeping coach Eric Steele to watch the player on a number of occasions while Arsene Wenger is monitoring the stopper. Villa have emerged as an option with new manager Gerard Houllier an adamant fan. It has now also emerged that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has sent scouts to watch the Dane with fears rising at Anfield that Reina could quit the club.

Sport.co.uk understands that while Lindegaard is eager to play in the Premier League, it depends which clubs make approaches for him with his representative admitting he is open to other top European leagues with Milan and Munich registering their intent.

The agent of Lindegaard Michael Stensgaard told Sport.co.uk in an exclusive interview:

“It is difficult to talk about his future. At the moment he is playing well and is with the Danish national team. That is where he will stay for the moment, until a club come in with an official offer (Anders) is just focusing on his club and country, not speculation. “He continued.

“There are some interesting clubs following him and he is an interesting talent. He has been suited to the Premier League for many years and he is suited to all of Europe’s top leagues. He is very good with his feet and he also stands up as a traditional English keeper, he is not just a good shot stopper.

Arsene Wenger is also a rumoured suitor following the underwhelming performances of Manuel Almunia, but the former Liverpool and Southampton stopper Stensgaard refused to rule out his client moving to another league in Europe.

“The Premier League is a possibility but if other teams from other leagues come in for him we will look at it.” He concluded.

Manchester United & Manchester City To Go Head-To-Head To Land Liverpool's Fernando Torres

Manchester City and Manchester United are to go head-to-head to exploit the upheaval at Liverpool to land £40 million striker Fernando Torres, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Torres, 26, has reportedly grown unsettled on Merseyside following off the field problems and the club's poor form this season. Even the potential takeover from New England Sports Ventures is not believed to be enough to convince him to stay.

Despite the announcement of recent losses of more than £80m, United are understood to be ready to delve into their £150m cash reserves to try and land the star. City hopes to hold the upper hand, however, due to the intense rivalry between United and Liverpool and owner Sheikh Mansour's bottomless wealth.

Amid Liverpool Turmoil, England's Young Future Rests At Anfield

The headlines recently surrounding Liverpool have been anything but positive. The proposed takeover by New England Sports Ventures (NESV) is still far from finalized and Roy Hodgson's side find themselves in the unfamiliar territory of the relegation zone.

However, look carefully behind the headlines at Anfield and you will find a thriving youth system which could just hold the key to not only Liverpool's but also England's future.

There are signs that the FA are beginning to take youth football seriously. Once upon a time, under-17 and under-19 tournaments were viewed almost as an inconvenience. Now, especially given Spain's success in having developed and educated an entire generation of players to win the ultimate prize, England's youth teams are approached more professionally and are well worth watching.

Over the summer, the under-17 side won England's first age-specific title since 1993, defeating Spain in the final to lift the European under-17 championship. It is worth noting that the last England side to win a title, the successful European under-18 champions in 1993, included the likes of Paul Scholes, Sol Campbell, Nicky Butt, Robbie Fowler and Gary Neville – Not a bad crop.

Many of the summer's under-17 champions are now producing the goods for Noel Blake's under-19 side. They recorded two good victories over the weekend in the qualifying tournament of the European under-19 championship and the young lions appear to be roaring their way to next summer's finals in Romania, where they will fancy their chances.

The big hope is that this crop of players will get used to performing and winning in tournaments at a young age. By the time they become senior internationals, they will be less likely to choke on the big stage in the same way that Fabio Capello's side did in South Africa.

If this group of youngsters is to succeed, the likelihood is that it will also produce an exciting generation of new stars at Liverpool. IMScouting takes a look at five of the Anfield starlets who are central to England's youth sides and of course are ones to watch for the future.

Andre Wisdom

Age: 17

Position: Centre-back

Wisdom has progressed at a remarkable pace. Plucked from Bradford City's youth system aged 14, at only 15-years-old, he was playing for Liverpool's under-18 side. That is testament to both Wisdom's maturity as a footballer and his physical attributes.

Wisdom is a big, strong imposing defender. Unsurprisingly, one of his main attributes is his aerial ability. He is also very quick, despite his size. However, as is crucial for the footballer of today, Wisdom also has excellent technique and is comfortable on the ball.

Aged just 15, Wisdom played a major role in Liverpool's run to the FA Youth Cup final, despite being two years younger than most players in the tournament. During that run, he starred mainly at right-back, but was also used in midfield and at centre-back. Last summer, he scored at both ends in the final of the European Under-17 Championship and cemented his role in the heart of defence.

Wisdom appears to be a born leader too and could be heard constantly barking instructions to his team-mates during last weekend's England under-19 fixtures.

Conor Coady

Age: 17

Position: Central midfield/ centre-back

Coady captained the England under-17 side to glory last summer, where he partnered Wisdom to form a formidable defensive partnership at that level.

He is now playing for Liverpool's under-18 side and reserves, largely as a defensive midfielder. The fact that Coady is versatile enough to play both in defence and in midfield is potentially an excellent attribute to have. However, he must be wary that he doesn't become a bit part utility player.

Coady has a good footballing brain and also has the brawn to make it difficult for opponents in midfield. Although he isn’t the type of player to play impressive cross-field passes, he is very adept at breaking up play and playing short and effective balls. He is also strong in the air and has the pace to keep up with opponents on the counter-attack.

Coady, like Wisdom is another vocal character and a leader on the pitch. He has the attributes to be the driving force behind a team.

Jonjo Shelvey

Age: 18

Position: Central midfield

Slightly older than Coady and Wisdom, Shelvey has plenty of experience under his belt already. He became Charlton Athletic's youngest ever player at 16 years and 59 days and soon became their youngest ever scorer too.

Shelvey rejected the interest of Chelsea before Charlton finally cashed in on the youngster, Liverpool paying a not insignificant £1.7 million for the player last April. He has since gone on to captain the England under-19 side and make his Liverpool first-team debut in this season's shock Carling Cup exit to Northampton Town.

Shelvey's style brings about automatic comparisons to Steven Gerrard. Time will tell whether that eventually serves to help or hinder him. He has a real dynamism to his game and possesses the energy to be a very effective box-to-box player. Shelvey also has an eye for goal and can make things happen going forward. Considered something of a set-piece specialist, Shelvey is also capable of playing as a second striker.

All in all, that £1.7 million could prove to be a real bargain for Liverpool in the long run.

Michael Ngoo

Age: 17

Position: Striker

Another star of the current England under-19 side, Ngoo is a tall, pacey striker. At 6ft 4in, Ngoo's physical presence is clearly a major asset. However, he also has pace to match and Liverpool certainly saw enough in him to lay out an estimated £250,000 to take him from Southend United as a 16-year-old.

Some have compared him to Peter Crouch, but Ngoo's pace sets him apart. In addition to being a threat on goal, he is composed on the ball and is able to find his team-mates in dangerous positions.

Ngoo is widely considered to have had a fine first season at Anfield with the under 18-side and a particular highlight was a Maradona-esque solo effort against Stoke City. There are question marks over whether he will develop into a prolific goalscorer, but Ngoo has done enough to push for the reserve team this season.

Raheem Sterling

Age: 15

Position: Midfield

Sterling is still very much an academy player at Anfield, but is certainly one for the future. Liverpool beat off significant competition from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United to take Sterling from QPR for a reported initial £300,000 earlier this year.

England under-16 international Sterling was already playing reserve team football at QPR as a 15-year-old when he arrived at Anfield. He still has a very slight build, but possesses undoubted natural ability and flies down the flanks. He is quick, very skillful and has very good balance, meaning that he usually gets the better of his man. Usually utilized in wide positions, some have compared him to Theo Walcott.

Sterling announced his arrival at Anfield with an excellent performance for the under-18s against rivals Everton. Aged only 15, Sterling terrorized the Toffees and scored as the Reds ran out 4-3 winners.

Such is his potential that Sterling even played for the first-team over the summer in pre-season friendlies.

Reds Driver In The Money

Liverpool’s Superleague Formula race ace Frederic Vervisch produced a great performance to finish third in race one amid chaotic scenes in Beijing on Sunday.

Rain, fog and fading light meant that stewards took the sensible decision not to run the event-ending Super final, meaning that the €100,000 cheque for the 'weekend winner' was handed to Earl Bamber (PSV Eindhoven), who scored most points from the two 40-minute feature races, for the second time in seven days.

It was a good prize day for Vervisch took home €50,000 - a just reward after two superb overtaking-filled performances from the Belgian.

Race two was a chaotic, red-flag interrupted affair, as weather conditions changed mid-race and several drivers went off in the slippery conditions.

Reflecting on the events in Beijing, Vervisch said: "It's been a really good weekend and the result is excellent considering from where I started the first race.

"Qualifying wasn't good but we continued to work hard afterwards and we were fast in both races. I'm happy that the car is in one piece and I'm holding a cheque!

"I would have liked to have raced in the Super Final, but on the other hand you saw what happened in Ordos when drivers are racing for money, so maybe it was a good decision!"

Race 12, the final races in the Superleague Formula series this season, heads to Circuito de Navarra, Spain over the weekend of October 23/24.

NESV Threaten To Walk Away From Purchase If Club Are Docked Points

New England Sports Ventures positioned itself to renegotiate its proposed £300 million purchase of Liverpool over the weekend, threatening to walk away if the club were docked nine points as a result of administration.

Having indicated on Friday that, as the threat of administration was considered remote, NESV remained committed to the deal regardless, the syndicate’s view hardened considerably over the weekend.

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton is seeking High Court approval for the sale to NESV against the wishes of owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, with a hearing expected to take place on Tuesday. There were suggestions last night that the club were considering an approach for representation to Lord Grabiner QC, a company disputes specialist.

If the court endorses Broughton’s right to sell the club, NESV will go through with the deal agreed last week. Should the court rule against the chairman, however, administration is a genuine possibility, and NESV now regards it as a deal-breaker and will consider walking away entirely if the club is docked nine points.

NESV is understood to have secured a clause in the deal signed with Broughton in the early hours of Wednesday allowing it to renegotiate the price in the event of administration. Broughton warned on Friday that administration “would impact on Liverpool’s value and [leave it] wide open to predators”.

NESV’s change in position comes after the Premier League told the club board that a nine-point deduction was a “significant risk” even if the administration occurred at Liverpool’s holding company Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd.

Royal Bank of Scotland, whose £237 million loans to Hicks and Gillett via Kop Holdings becomes due on Friday, has indicated that if the court rules against Broughton it might be forced put the company into administration to effect a change of control. NESV’s threat to walk away came as a surprise to RBS and the club board, and was interpreted by several sources close to the negotiations as a positioning exercise. It is also evidence of a marked deterioration in relations between John W Henry’s group, the club board and RBS.

Henry and his advisers are understood to have become frustrated at last week’s events. As late as Monday they believed that they were the only serious bidders for the club, only to be told on Tuesday that they were one of two, with the other emanating from Asia. They also believed that Broughton had clear authority to sell the club and were surprised at the legal challenge from Hicks and Gillett.

They increased their offer to secure preferred bidder status, but an apparent lack of clarity over the threat of administration and the likely Premier League sanctions have tested their patience.

Despite having opened negotiations with Broughton and RBS in mid-August, and begun due diligence two weeks ago, the threat of administration and a points deduction appears to have surprised Henry and his advisers.

RBS has been closely involved in the negotiations with NESV and the club board, and its stance should not have come as a surprise. For several weeks the bank and the board have privately indicated that administration of Kop Holdings was considered ‘Plan B’ if a sale could not be agreed.

The Premier League, meanwhile, insists that it gave the Liverpool board guidance on the risk of a points sanction last Tuesday, but that it did not differ from that given to all clubs at the start of the season.

Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow said on Sunday that he was confident a deal would go through. “I’m completely focused on making sure the sale completes. I’m not contemplating administ-ration and nobody should be,” he said, less than 48 hours after Broughton said it could not be ruled out.

“NESV approached us. They met our chairman. He was immediately struck with their seriousness and the entire senior management team of NESV came to Liverpool. They spent a large amount of time in the club doing their work.”

Dalglish Warns Potential Owners Of Expectations

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has warned Liverpool's potential new owners that their task of rebuilding fans' faith in the club's hierarchy will be tough.

The Merseyside club are subject to a take-over saga with New England Sports Ventures attempting to buy out current Anfield co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

But it's Hicks and Gillett's time at Liverpool, which has been shrouded with ill-feeling since their arrival in 2007, that has seen the club saddled with unmanageable debts.

And now, a High Court battle is the last resort the current owners have taken to keep control of the club, which has only added to the animosity.

Dalglish, in particular, has been saddened with the events surrounding the club, and is desperate to see a conclusion.

The former Scotland international, who has been reported to be a possible replacement for under-fire Reds manager Roy Hodgson, said in his column in the Daily Mail: "These have been depressing times at Anfield.

"It is never nice when your football club are making as many headlines on the front pages as the back.

"This week looks set to be huge for Liverpool but there is still a feeling of uncertainty because nobody can guarantee what is going to happen next.

"I feel particularly for the fans, who must find it difficult to know which way to turn. I am sure the majority of them are quite happy that the club might be sold but what they really want is to see Liverpool move onwards and upwards from here.

"Let's hope we can and that things work out. Liverpool is usually a glass half-full kind of city, and The Kop are renowned throughout the world for their humour and spirit."

Dalglish added: "It is essential for any potential new owners to assure the supporters they have a long-term plan for the club that will see the club's debt problem resolved, investment made for new players and a solution found where Liverpool's match-day revenues increase either at an enlarged Anfield or a new stadium.

"Fans stop me in the street and ask me what is going to happen. I can't give them a precise answer but I do know this club's DNA will ensure they survive and are successful in the future.

"Just don't expect the scepticism from supporters to disappear overnight, not after the journey they've been on."

Why Liverpool Fans Shouldn’t Fear Administration

The word administration will universally strike fear in football fans. Points deductions and a mass exodus of players is something that will normally follow after a club slips in to administration, however I am certain Liverpool won’t have to suffer the costs of the dreaded A word.

British newspapers are today reporting that Liverpool slipping in to administration will mean the collapse of the NESV takeover. However I can’t see why Liverpool’s finances will collapse in that way.

If the High Court rules that the NESV takeover cannot be completed, then it will be down to the Royal Bank of Scotland to decide the clubs fate. Their options would then be, to call in the massive debt, and effectively repossess the club, or to extend the time given to Tom Hicks and George Gillett to repay the loans.

The later of the two options seems highly unlikely given the duos past record of paying their debts. So what would happen if the club was to be repossessed?

In this case the Bank of Scotland could appoint an administrator, however it would seem pure madness to do so when there is a party who is actively looking to buy the club. The most sensible solution would appear to be for NESV to simply clear the clubs debt with RBS and therefore takeover the club.

So Liverpool fans shouldn’t be alarmed by the murmurs of administration because it would be a move that wouldn’t suit any party. As long as there is interest in the club, Liverpool will not be going in to administration. With a club of Liverpool’s history and prowess, there will always be interest.

Yes this is all speculation, and with the strange dealings that have gone at Liverpool during the past few weeks and months maybe we should expect the bizarre, but you have to feel that Anfield will be free of the burden of Hicks and Gillett in the not so distant future.

On a side note, Tom Hicks summed up his relationship with Liverpool fans by saying they “are a noise we are dealing with.” I think that says it all about this regime and the desperate need for change on Merseyside.

Liverpool Join Race To Sign £8m Rated Premier League Playmaker

Three clubs are reportedly interested in signing under-used Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjcar. The Croatia ace is being linked with a move away from White Hart Lane after failing to start a club match this term. Sources in his home country believe Monaco and two un-named Premier League clubs have an interest in signing the 26-year-old.

The two unnamed Premier Leagues are rumoured to be Aston Villa and Liverpool and both sides would do well to snap up the White Hart Lane man who can’t seem to force his way into the Tottenham reckoning. Harry Redknapp is quite right to state that with Gareth Bale in incredible form the Croatian playmaker has less chance to get a first team start and at 26 he will not want to be wasting away on the bench.

Gerard Houllier is known to be an admirer of the former Portsmouth man and the Villa Park boss has been promised funds to invest in his squad in January and the Frenchman is looking to inject more creativity into his Aston Villa squad.

However, it is believed that £8m rated Kranjcar has a liking for Liverpool and may prefer a move to Merseyside but clearly such a move would depend greatly on what state the club is in come January and that also depends very much on whether the Tom Hicks and George Gillett would still be at the club by that time, which seems unlikely.

Roy Hodgson is desperately looking for players to help provide the cutting edge in the attacking third and he would dearly love to secure the signing of the Tottenham man who is an adaptable attacker who can play out wide or in an advanced midfield role.

A move to Monaco seems less likely given the poor start the club has made in Ligue 1 this term added to the fact that after four years in England Niko appears settled and feels the need to prove himself in the Premier League.

Liverpool Line Up Swoop For Reto Ziegler

Liverpool will face competition from several European clubs, but have their eye on Swiss left-back Reto Ziegler, who has just turned down a new deal with Sampdoria.

Liverpool was linked with Ziegler over the summer, but in the end Roy Hodgson brought Paul Konchesky to Anfield. Nonetheless, should Liverpool’s off-field problems be ironed out, Italian website Tuttomercato reports that Hodgson will renew his interest in Ziegler.

The 24-year-old has turned down the offer of a new deal at Sampdoria from the club’s director general Sergio Gasparin. Tuttomercato reports that Ziegler could leave the club as early as January, with Liverpool facing competition from Juventus, Hamburg and Zenit St Petersburg among others.

Zeigler is a quick and skillful player, who can fill a role as a left-winger as well as at left full-back. His versatility could well be an asset to Hodgson’s struggling Liverpool side.

He joined Tottenham as a teenager from Grasshoppers Zurich 2004 and impressed the White Hart Lane faithful with his neat, controlled football. However, he failed to command a regular place in the starting line-up at the North Londoners and moved on for first-team football.

Ziegler scored two goals for Sampdoria in 37 appearances last season.

Gerrard Hopes For Shelvey

Steven Gerrard feels England youth star Jonjo Shelvey has a big career ahead of him at Liverpool.

Shelvey arrived at Anfield in the summer from Charlton, but he has been limited to just one appearance in the League Cup since moving.

But Reds skipper Gerrard thinks he showed enough in the defeat against Northampton, to show he has huge potential.

"When Jonjo came on against Northampton I thought he did really well," Gerrard said on the club's official website.

"He put some dangerous balls into their box and just that piece of action will have done him the world of good as he moves forward.

"It'll give him the confidence to try and shift people from the first eleven.

"He is a talented player. He's still young and still a baby in football terms but if he keeps learning - not just from me but from everyone in the squad, people who are older than him and have been there and done it before - his game will continue to get better and better."

Pepe Reina Wants An End To The Takeover 'Chaos' At Liverpool

Liverpool's goalkeeper Pepe Reina wants a quick end to takeover talk surrounding the club as he feels it is a distracting the club and players.

The takeover crisis involves New England Sport Ventures (NESV) bidding £300 million to take over the club from current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. However, the American executives are involving the high court to try to prevent the sale of the club, as they feel it is invalid and undervaluing the club.

But the Spaniard understandably just wants to do the talking on the pitch.

"The only thing we can do is play football and the things that are going on around the club, the ownership situation and all that is out of our hands," the 28-year-old told reporters.

"It’s still too soon to talk about the takeover because there is still some chaos down there.

"I am worried. I am worried because of the situation of the club but I am optimistic and I think we are going to bounce back and be our best in a few months. At least that’s what I hope."

What is more worrying for Reina and everyone involved at the club is if Hicks and Gillett manage to block the sale of the team going through.

This would mean that the Royal Bank of Scotland - who Kop Holdings owe £237 million - could chase after the debt as soon as Friday, meaning that Liverpool would be put into administration and incur a nine point penalty in the process.

And Reina admits that this would be a mighty blow in what has already proved to be a hard start to the season.

"It would be a tough setback and a very difficult situation but I am optimistic that everything will be sorted out before that," he added.

"All that we can do now is hope and pray for a good finish and a very good ending.

"We could do nothing [so far] apart from winning games and that hasn’t been the case unfortunately."

The Madrid born star still believes that if the club did go into administration and incur the nine-point penalty, they would still have enough quality to avoid relegation, but conceded that securing a place in Europe would be very unlikely.

"I still believe that even with nine less points we will be able to stay in the Premier League but of course it will be no other target possible for us because with nine points less it’s going to be a tough, tough year.

"I don’t even want to think about that because we won’t be that bad and it won’t be like this."

It has been a difficult start to the season for the reds, having played both halves of Manchester and Arsenal, so Reina feels that a few victories in the coming matches can lift the team spirits.

"The team is good enough to start winning games. It’s a difficult situation but we have to stick together and work hard to try to turn it around."

Reina, who signed a six-year contract with Liverpool in April denied any rumours linking to other clubs, particularly after reported interest from Arsenal.

"The only thing I can do is play football and focus on Liverpool because I just signed a six-year contract," Reina said.

"It’s just because of the press. I don’t know anything else."

The goalkeeper also felt that his fellow compatriot Fernando Torres, who has struggled with form and injuries recently, would be back to his best before too long.

"Fernando is one of the best strikers in the world. As soon as he is fit once again, and he’s working on that, he will be shining once again for us."

Fog Of Anfield Boardroom War Clouds Over Merseyside Derby

All that is known about the immediate future of Liverpool Football Club is this: at 1.30 next Sunday, Roy Hodgson's side will take to the field for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Steven Gerrard will wear the captain's armband, Fernando Torres, injury permitting, will lead the attacking line.

For the 214th time, red will face blue. Everything else is shades of grey.

Liverpool, perhaps for as much as the next seven days, exist in a state of duality. The side that Hodgson picks to face Everton may have six Premier League points, or they may have, in effect, minus three. Their wages may be paid from Dallas, from Boston, from Gogarburn or from points unknown.

They may be supported from the Paddock by fans relieved that the nightmare of the last three years, the toxic reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, is over and a new era under New England Sports Ventures (NESV) has begun. They may find the protest songs that have replaced more traditional serenades are spat with greater ferocity than ever.

They may have a bright future, or they may seem to have no future. It may all be over, or it may all just have begun. Liverpool are the Premier League's version of Schrodinger's cat. They are a club caught in existential limbo, simultaneously alive and dead.

At the High Court this week, chairman Martin Broughton must prove that Hicks and Gillett not only signed over to him the right to appoint and remove directors, but agreed he could sell the club for what he felt was the best offer.

Hicks and Gillett, in turn, must prove the NESV offer is not reasonable, and both that their higher valuation of the club is realistic and that someone may be willing to pay it.

Which Liverpool side -- the one imbued with purpose, or the one mired in doubt -- attends Goodison Park may well be decided on the Strand.

If Broughton is proved correct then it is likely to be the former, as a club inspired by the sight of its new owners in the directors' box finally feels the gloom has lifted. If Hicks and Gillett win, even after an appeal that will be heard within 72 hours of the original case, then it will be the latter.

It is here that Liverpool's future becomes complicated. If Broughton is unsuccessful, then the sale will not proceed. On Friday, RBS will call in their debts. Unless Hicks and Gillett can pay back around £200m -- and all attempts to raise that funding have failed -- then the club, or, more accurately, its holding company Kop Football, will be taken into administration.

That, too, has dual ramifications. It is positive, in that it would effectively force Hicks and Gillett out as RBS seize control and look to complete a quick sale, perhaps costing the Americans a further £110m in personal guarantees and most likely presenting the club to NESV.

It is negative, though, because the Premier League would be minded to dock Liverpool nine points, three more than they have.

It is not nearly so simple as that, though. Regardless of how the court finds, if Hicks and Gillett pay back their debts in the next six days -- however hypothetical that seems -- then they remove much of the bank's leverage. They would be able to stop the sale, buying crucial time to remove directors.

Yet even that is a shorthand. Hicks and Gillett as a dual entity no longer exist. The latter has been replaced by Mill Financial, the company with whom he took out a $75m (£47m) loan in December 2008 with his 50 per cent share in the partnership that owns Liverpool as security. He has defaulted on that loan, and Mill, a division of Springfield Financial, have called it in.

Sources in the US insist that is simply a legal measure; Liverpool and RBS believe it is not a complicating factor. Yet both sides are concerned enough to have had contact with Mill in the past few days.

That Hicks's two would-be directors are both his loyalists indicates he cannot be sure of Gillett's place on the board.

That is how unclear Liverpool's future is: not only is Broughton trying to sell a club he does not own, not only is Hicks trying to hold on to a club he did not pay for, half of that club belongs to a real estate company based in Arlington, Virginia, and their intentions -- though most likely simply to recoup their money -- are shaded in grey.

Liverpool can only hope that, by the time red and blue face each other, everything else is black and white.

Liverpool's New Owners Face A Familiar Stadium Dilemma At Anfield

Jamie Carragher's testimonial committee had three basic wishes when, more than two years ago, they started preparing for his big day. Everton would provide the opposition; local charities would receive the proceeds; and the game would be the first at Liverpool's grand new stadium on Stanley Park. On 4 September this year they fulfilled two out of three. At Anfield.

Like many before them, they were long ago resigned to the fact that option three was an illusion.

The frustrations of Carragher's committee were trivial and brief in comparison to those suffered by Liverpool supporters, and by residents of one of the most deprived local authority wards in Britain, for whom a new stadium was presented as key to regeneration and 1,000 new jobs in the late 1990s.

This week, given the right result in the high court, New England Sports Ventures will be tasked with delivering an arena that is essential both to the revival of Liverpool FC and a community. The contentment of Fernando Torres and promised transfer sprees deliver headlines that win immediate support for prospective new owners, but it is how quickly they construct a solution to a 40-year-old problem will determine Liverpool's long-term fortunes.

John W Henry and his 16 fellow investors in NESV do not yet have control of Liverpool but there is already scepticism over their prospects. The club's astute former chief executive, Peter Robinson, identified the constraints at Anfield when calling for a joint stadium with Everton in the late 1960s. It was an inability to fund a new stadium that prompted David Moores to sell to Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the main reason the Americans lost their business model and trust at Liverpool.

"If they had not been leveraged then they would have started the stadium, and we wouldn't be saying what terrible guys these are," said Martin Broughton, the Liverpool chairman attempting to sell the club against the wishes of the American co-owners.

As regards the income-generating potential of a big, modern stadium, Liverpool have been left trailing by a growing number of rivals for more than a decade. A commitment to build, and to inject £100m in cash into the project, was a condition of the sale process conducted by Broughton and the chief executive Christian Purslow, and it was the track record of NESV in redeveloping the Fenway Park home of the Boston Red Sox that swayed a majority on the Liverpool board. The club had received an identical £300m offer, of which £240m is cash, from a rival suitor in Asia.

NESV will not arrive blind to the situation should they be installed as owners this week. The group have already held discussions with the Royal Bank of Scotland over financing a new stadium through, as Broughton put it, "a sensible, normal level of debt and equity". Joe Anderson, the leader of Liverpool city council, is also primed to meet owners he has welcomed but whose intention to consider redeveloping Anfield he opposes.

Liverpool and the Anfield area have deteriorated in tandem while the club have remained at their iconic, atmospheric but financially constrained 45,362-capacity home. Given the respective revenue streams of England's leading clubs it is no surprise that Rafael Benítez, and Gérard Houllier before him, frequently complained about the expectation to deliver a first league title since 1990 on such an uneven playing field.

In the financial year 2008-09, Liverpool earned £42m from gate and match-day income. Manchester United generated £109m and Arsenal £100m in the same period. United's good fortune in having access to acres of land to redevelop Old Trafford, and Arsenal's exhaustive fight to construct the Emirates, means they earn more from home matches per season than from TV and broadcasting. Liverpool are among those clubs for whom TV and broadcasting revenue outweighs match-day earnings.

Liverpool's commercial income has tripled in recent years under director Ian Ayre, however, helping the club achieve a record income of £185m in the year ending 30 July 2009. That, and Liverpool's mass global appeal, ensures that in two of the three main revenue streams for Premier League clubs – commercial activities, broadcasting rights and match-day – Liverpool fare impressively. Once the interest payments on debts built up by Hicks and Gillett are no more – last year they stood at almost £40m – their spending power increases further. But they will continue to languish behind their competitors without a new stadium that can seat 60,000-plus, and now is not the time to be found wanting.

Manchester City embody the race to cement a place in the Champions League and close the drawbridge on the rest before Uefa's financial fair-play rules come into effect in 2012-13. The rules "encourage clubs to operate more responsibly by not spending more than they earn", according to Uefa, and will prevent clubs that are bankrolled by billionaires competing in Europe unless they break even over a rolling three-year period. Debt taken on to build a new stadium does not enter the Uefa equation, so Tottenham, with planning permission for a new 56,000-seat stadium near White Hart Lane and an application in to lease the Olympic Stadium after 2012, have also stolen a march on Liverpool.

"The financial fair-play rules come into effect pretty damn soon so taking a rational, commercial approach to success is absolutely the right way forward," insists Broughton. "I couldn't help notice that Manchester City's wage bill for last year was exceeding its revenue. That is going to be very difficult under financial fair play. They might be able to sort it out before then but we were not looking for someone who was going to put us in that position. We were looking for somebody who was going to see this as a commercial business that can be commercially successful."

Simply breaking the ground would be ground-breaking for Liverpool.

Liverpool Chairman Wanted Abramovich-Style Owner

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has revealed that he "scoured the world" in search of a sugar daddy owner in the mould of Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan but failed to find one.

While a section of Liverpool fans are concerned it will be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire by swapping one set of American owners with another, Broughton attempts to ease their worries in an exclusive interview with ESPNsoccernet while away in the States.

Instead of a billionaire, Liverpool will have a few multi-millionaires, and in the financially-competitive Premier League there is some scepticism about the men who own Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Ventures.

From his Washington hotel, Broughton told ESPNsoccernet that it might turn out to be better in the long run.

Broughton explained: "We searched the world looking for another owner like the ones at Chelsea and Manchester City. With all of Liverpool's traditions, heritage, history and powerful global brand, I must admit I thought it would be possible to find one.

"We hoped for someone who wanted a 'trophy asset', but having scoured the world without finding one, the conclusion is that there are no more Romans out there.

"Yes, of course, it is disappointing that even a name like Liverpool failed to attract one, so I cannot imagine other club having much luck."

I suggested to Broughton that it is very optimistic to believe that there are sugar daddies queueing up to buy Premier League clubs, when in reality that is not the case. The majority of Premier League clubs would leap at the chance of a takeover, and Liverpool at last have one, while many are still waiting in hope to clear their debts.

Broughton said: "Yes, everyone is aware of how many Premier League clubs there are for sale, but Liverpool is different, at least it should have been different, as it is a global brand compared to some of the other clubs, and for that reason you would have thought it would have appealed to a sugar daddy.

"But the truth is that there is only one Roman Abramovich, there is only one Sheikh Mansour, because we couldn't find another one."

Chelsea cost their Russian owner less than £70 million, taking control with a £17 million buyout of Ken Bates, although he invested half a billion from that point. It was the same at Manchester City, where there wasn't a premium price tag.

Broughton added: "With Liverpool, whatever the price to buy it, came a heavy obligation to spend something like £300 million on a new stadium, and £350 million of debt or an obligation to turn that into equity. Liverpool came with some heavy numbers, whereas Abramovich paid very little to gain control of Chelsea.

"So no matter how far and wide we looked there was no evidence of a sugar daddy type around.

"Perhaps it will end up being to our advantage, when the financial fair play rules apply in 2013, we will have the ideal owners in a way, owners who understand the commercial realities of a running a club and running a sporting team, and how to invest in the team, and produce a winning team.

"More reality will come in to football, and it is important that our supporters take this aspect on board. Put Manchester City to one side, and how many big money transfers were there this summer? Not that many. Reality is setting in across the board."

Hicks And Gillett Could Cost Themselves £110 Million

Liverpool's ace card against Tom Hicks and George Gillett in the looming court case is that the £300 million takeover by New England Sports Ventures is actually in the best interests of the outgoing owners - because it wipes out a massive £110 million worth of personal guarantees to the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Hicks and Gillett stand to lose a total of £254 million if the move by the owners of the Boston Red Sox collapses and they cannot find a replacement new owner by Friday.

In another twist, leaked minutes from a Liverpool board meeting allegedly contain Hicks making personal and abusive comments about Liverpool fans, which will rake up the hatred felt by the supporters against the current owners. However, it is impossible to see how much more despised Hicks and Gillett can become.

More importantly, ESPNsoccernet can exclusively reveal the cornerstone of Liverpool's case is that the takeover is in everyone's best interests. The hearing is not likely until Tuesday at the earliest. An inside source said: "It's in Hicks and Gillett's best interests, the board will argue, because it caps their losses at £144 million. Part of the deal with NESV is that the Royal Bank of Scotland wipe out the £110 million of personal guarantees."

An out of court settlement with Hicks and Gillett cannot be ruled out as the board is so confident that they will win the court case. Martin Broughton cannot comment on the specifics of the case, but the Liverpool chairman has told ESPNsoccernet that he believes he can win the case and the takeover can go through.

Behind the scenes 'negotiations' are clearly going on between the warring factions aimed at avoiding a messy public court hearing that would tear the club apart. Equally, the court hearing, which comes just days before Friday's deadline with the Royal Bank of Scotland, is unlikely to be the end of the legal wranglings, as whoever losses the initial hearing is sure to seek an appeal.

On the issue of an appeal, Liverpool's lawyers will argue that if Hicks and Gillett lose and the takeover can go through, and they call for an appeal, it would seriously jeopordise the takeover, and potentially throw the club into administration, thereby putting the club's surviva at risk.

If the legal actions drag to a second hearing, it is inevitable that RBS will have to take some decision on Friday, most likely to suspend the outcome of whether to put the club into administration pending the final court room verdict.

The logical solution is for both sets of lawyers to find some sort of middle ground, even if it is a settlement on the steps of the High Court. There is no direct contact anymore between the factions, with Hicks and Gillett on one side and the three English members of the board led by Broughton on the other.

Broughton told ESPNsoccernet exclusively: "All of these issues I cannot possibly comment on, as this is going to court, one would assume. We have no date for the hearing yet, but we are told it is a 'short order' and so it would be any day hopefully early next week.

However, without going into any legal detail, Broughton said: "Yes, I am confident we shall win. However we all know when you have to sets of lawyers they are both telling you that they are 100% confident that they will win."