Dubai International to make bid for Liverpool FC

[sonsofthedesert]

Daily Star:

KOP CHAOS AS YANKS DENY DEAL
ABOVE: Tom Hicks21st January 2008 By Dave Lyons Your Shout
LIVERPOOL co-owner Tom Hicks last night hit out at reports that he was about to sell his stake in the Merseysiders.

Talk over the weekend suggested that he and Kop partner George Gillett would sell their stakes for £500m to Dubai International Capital – the investment arm of the Dubai government.

That could gross the two Americans a profit of £75m each after covering the borrowing which allowed them to take over the club last February.

But Hicks and Gillett are instead pressing ahead with a refinancing deal, set to be concluded in the next 72 hours, and will also unveil plans for a new stadium this week.

Reports over the weekend had suggested DIC were preparing to launch their bid amid suggestions that a member of the Hicks family had said the Americans were ”sick and tired” of the club.

Since seizing control of Liverpool, Gillett and Hicks have only put around £7.5m of their own money into the club to cover interest repayments.

Despite the turmoil and acrimony that has engulfed Anfield, and which will see supporters stage demonstrations against the Americans at tonight's game with Aston Villa, Hicks maintained his public stance that he is at Liverpool for the long haul.

"I have not received any offer to purchase the club from the DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any such offer. Nor do I have any intention of doing so," he said in a statement denying a deal had been finalised.

"The facts are that I and my family have always been, and remain, fully committed to co-owning the club; that no one in my family has ever indicated any intention or desire to sell our stake in the club; and that we expect and intend to be co-owners of the Club, and to actively and enthusiastically support the Club's manager, players and fans for many years to come."

The statement will also only serve to further infuriate fans, who have deemed the current regime as not fit to run their club.

Ian St John, who won two league championships with Liverpool, said: "I think a DIC takeover would be a great thing for Liverpool, it would be a big lifesaver.

"Something has to happen as the club is in disarray. Everybody would like to see the Americans walk away and DIC come in."

COMIC

[Morph]

Makes sense , they own a chunk of HSBC .

You could hope that HSBC are calling up RBS and saying "turns these ****ers down for the loan, we'll make it worth your time "

Totally illegal of course but...

wouldn't call 2% a chunk, I doubt they have much say, again they're just looking for a return

[kurtangle01]

None of the articles in tomorrows press look promising but I wonder just how many are taking their stories from Hicks' statement and dressing it up with their own spin?

[Craig_H]

I think Hicks wants £500M but is asking for £1Bn.

I think we wants £500m and is asking for $1b - which are more or less the same.

DIC apparently 'only' offering £300m.

Perhaps they could meet halfway and do the deal for £400m.

[Jimthered]

wouldn't call 2% a chunk, I doubt they have much say, again they're just looking for a return

Must be more than 2 % ?

NewDawn GSE Asset Management Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DIC Asset Management ('DICAM') and the General Partner for the USD2bn Global Strategic Equities Fund ('GSEF'), today announced that it has made a substantial investment in HSBC Holdings plc, the pre-eminent global financial services firm, allowing them to become one of the leading shareholders in the company.

Edit to add - Your probably right, the other largest share holder has 3.6 percent

[kurtangle01]

I think we wants £500m and is asking for $1b - which are more or less the same.

DIC apparently 'only' offering £300m.

Perhaps they could meet halfway and do the deal for £400m.

I don't think we're getting rid of this **** any time soon, unfortunately.

[carlton]

LFC is rooted now. They wont sell. Moores had a chance to secure the clubs future via DIC a year ago but ****ed it up. These idiots still have to borrow another $300 million pounds to build the bloody stadium. Where are they going to get that from with stock markets crashing and the USA economy on the brink of recession?

[baz87]

They're both just bargaining at the moment. Hicks thinks that by forcing through the refinance that they'll be able to push the price up which in theory it would, however if tonights reports are true DIC have told them that there offer will actually go down if the refinance goes ahead.

Im almost certain that both sides want to do a deal its just a case of finding some agreement, ive got a feeling thats going to take a while though.

[sonsofthedesert]

They're both just bargaining at the moment. Hicks thinks that by forcing through the refinance that they'll be able to push the price up which in theory it would, however if tonights reports are true DIC have told them that there offer will actually go down if the refinance goes ahead.

Im almost certain that both sides want to do a deal its just a case of finding some agreement, ive got a feeling thats going to take a while though.

I'm now worried it wont happen. I can't help but think that Hicks is so pig headed that it makes him thick at times.

[Jimthered]

LFC is rooted now. They wont sell. Moores had a chance to secure the clubs future via DIC a year ago but ****ed it up. These idiots still have to borrow another $300 million pounds to build the bloody stadium. Where are they going to get that from with stock markets crashing and the USA economy on the brink of recession?

I would be surprised to see a new stadium anytime soon, even though G&H need to build it. I cant see the banks stumping up another 300 million plus without a large cash input from the owners.

Hate to say it but I just dont see it right now.

[kurtangle01]

They're both just bargaining at the moment. Hicks thinks that by forcing through the refinance that they'll be able to push the price up which in theory it would, however if tonights reports are true DIC have told them that there offer will actually go down if the refinance goes ahead.

Im almost certain that both sides want to do a deal its just a case of finding some agreement, ive got a feeling thats going to take a while though.

Well, they'd better not leave it to long because the owners are about to push through their side of the deal and if that happens I think they'll be here for the forseeable future and DIC could potentially walk away for good.

If it's not done this week then I think it might never be.

[kurtangle01]

I would be surprised to see a new stadium anytime soon, even though G&H need to build it. I cant see the banks stumping up another 300 million plus without a large cash input from the owners.

Hate to say it but I just dont see it right now.

Me neither. The Stadium plans will come with much fan fair, as they did in the summer, but two years down the line there wont be a shovel in the ground.

[sonsofthedesert]

Me neither. The Stadium plans will come with much fan fair, as they did in the summer, but two years down the line there wont be a shovel in the ground.

£300m more debt so they can make an extra £1m a match so about £25m a year. Interest on the loan would be about £30m according to the papers so it doesn't ad up that well.

[Craig_H]

I don't think we're getting rid of this **** any time soon, unfortunately.

I wouldnt be so sure of that mate.

To ironically use a much-uttered phrase recently...i think he's a dead man walking.

[sonsofthedesert]

I wouldnt be so sure of that mate.

To ironically use a much-uttered phrase recently...i think he's a dead man walking.

He own's the club he can do what he wants, if he doesn't want to sell he wont.