DIC latest - the largely wild speculation thread

[marcus50bucks]

After reading that, I think we're ****ed.

You don't go public when things are going your way.

Deal is extremely unlikely in my opinion.

[Steve001]

Whichever way I look at this, GG has the ability to influence the outcome. Even if Hicks raises this money through some kind of private placement, GG could just say I have changed my mind, I don’t want to sell. Whether he would and whether the law would allow him to chop and change I don’t know however if he has cut a deal with the DIC in the background and they would underwrite any loss he might make my taking such a position, then he could hold all the aces.....
If of course he is a lying, thieving conniving little **** like his erstwhile partner, then we may well end up with Mr Hicks as our 100% owner.....

[AFII]

When we have some factual information at last. However, there is not much to go on.

They are talking about buying at least some of the club but we dont know how much.

Or how likely a deal is.

Still nothing much to see here....move along

They can only buy 50 or 100%.

[AFII]

Whichever way I look at this, GG has the ability to influence the outcome. Even if Hicks raises this money through some kind of private placement, GG could just say I have changed my mind, I don’t want to sell. Whether he would and whether the law would allow him to chop and change I don’t know however if he has cut a deal with the DIC in the background and they would underwrite any loss he might make my taking such a position, then he could hold all the aces.....
If of course he is a lying, thieving conniving little **** like his erstwhile partner, then we may well end up with Mr Hicks as our 100% owner.....

Gillett don't want to sell to Hicks, he would rather keep his shares, at least that was what my friend told me a couple of days ago. Hicks want to buy them so he can later sell the whole club to DIC and make a bigger profit.

That was what Hicks visit in Dubai was all about. A lot of bluffing is going on.

[dww]

They can only buy 50 or 100%.

That is patently untrue. Hicks has already said he talked to them about a minority share holding last year - so to some degree that has to still be a conceivable option.

[Vermilion]

Oh ****, DIC going public finally, but not with any good news, sounds like they are trying to exert a little pressure, not that it will work with Hicks. So wish there was something positive we could do. One thing we CAN expect is a rant from Fatso.
This could now start to get Dirty.

[MosRay]

I feel like some have said before that hicks is going to be around for the long term, unfortunately for us.

Todays articals and DIC's addmission to Valuation being the sticking point is bad news and proves that hicks is playing hardball. Hicks will not sell for a 25million profit, not when he can get a 100% holding of the club; no matter how he finds the money to buy out Gillett.

Hicks wants a massive profit if he is to sell, but I am really concerned about this..why? because 18 months for now we will be either be all smiles or...Well I don't even want to begin to look at that senario...

Is the future bright, only time will tell...

YNWA... and this is really a bad storm....

I forgot to add : why do I feel like our soul has been sold to the devil....

[Vermilion]

I worry that with dic going public takeover talks could well be OVER for the time being.

[carlton]

Tom Hicks wants sole control of Liverpool
By Richard Morgan
Last Updated: 8:11am GMT 04/03/2008

Have your say Read comments

American businessman Tom Hicks is set to buy out co-owner George Gillett as the battle for Liverpool Football Club intensifies.

The battle for fourth place | Liverpool homepage
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Dubai International Capital (DIC), the investment arm of the Dubai Government, are reported to have made a £400 million bid for the club last Wednesday, an offer which as yet has not been rejected.



All smiles: Staveley could become a senior figure in the running of Liverpool should DIC take them over
The offer was made by Amanda Staveley, a senior partner at PCP Capital patners, say the Times, and if accepted it is believed that the 34-year-old businesswoman, acting as an adviser to DIC, would take up a prominent role in the Anfield boardroom.

DIC are said to be confident that Gillett would be willing to accept an offer of £200m for his 50 per cent stake in the club, maybe even by the end of the week, after becoming disillusioned by his brief time on Merseyside.

However, in an intriguing twist to this long-running saga, reports emanating from Dallas last night suggested that Hicks, who was originally meant to be the silent partner in the takeover 13 months ago, is ready to exercise his right to have first refusal on Gillett's 50 per cent stake in the club. Hicks is said to have secured an off-market placement of his shares in Hicks Sports Group, which includes his two American sports franchises, the Texas Rangers baseball team and the Dallas Stars ice hockey team, as well as his stake in Liverpool FC.

DIC remain doubtful though as to whether Hicks has the finances to buy out his partner, especially as the Texan billionaire has frequently been encouraging them to negotiate with him in recent weeks over the sale of the club.

A more likely outcome is that both men will agree to a deal that leaves them with a £25m profit on their original investment.

Gillett remains the key individual in all negotiations and the mutual dislike that has grown between the pair in recent months could mean that Gillett would be unwilling to sell his share in the club to Hicks, although when push comes to shove, he may not have a choice in the matter.

Gillett was the prime mover behind the disastrous attempt last November to recruit former Germany manger Jurgen Klinsmann to replace the Spaniard, a move that exaccerbated the feeling of crisis surrounding the club.

Sources at Anfield have stated, however, that "no one knows what Tom Hicks will do if he gets his hands on the entire club", a scenario that does not sit easily with the former chairman David Moores and the current chief executive Rick Parry, who both privately now admitt their mistake in selling to the Americans ahead of DIC last January.

In the event of DIC taking control at Anfield, it is believed that Sameer Al-Ansari, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, would conduct a wide-ranging review of all aspects of the club, with both Benitez's and Parry's positions considered to be under greatest threat. Sources close to DIC also state that Al-Ansari would recruit "the best football brains in the country" to work alongside whoever the club's manager would be.

Meanwhile, sources at Liverpool talk of "chaos" and a situation where "no one knows who is running the club", something Hicks seems determined to clarify in the coming weeks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/04/ufnliv104.xml

Basically the Times article with sme minor bits and pieces

[RawRed]

Amanda Staveley

[kopdan]

so nothing has changed then.

yay

[Rix007]

I forgot to add : why do I feel like our soul has been sold to the devil....

Very true, I think we ****ed unless DIC force Hicks hand, for now lets just hope and pray. Our club is looking so ****ing stupid now and we the laughing stock of the football world at the moment.

[Kenneth]

It's probably going to be Hicks owning us outright for quite a while. We may not like it, but we should probably start getting used to the idea.

[Steve101]

From the BBC this morning- much of the same, but people like to know every source, so......
Last Updated: Tuesday, 4 March 2008, 08:00 GMT
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Reds owners living in 'dreamland'
Liverpool owners George Gillett (left) and Tom Hicks
Gillett (left) and Hicks have become unpopular among Liverpool fans
Liverpool's American owners have been accused of living in "dreamland" by the government-run Dubai investment fund interested in buying the Anfield club.

Dubai Investment Capital confirmed on Tuesday it had been in talks with US duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett about purchasing a stake in the Reds.

DIC chief executive Sameer al-Ansari said: "It's no secret that we have been in discussions with the current owners.

"It's not easy because (they) are in dreamland about valuations."

Al-Ansari later clarified that one of the club's owners "had come out of dreamland", without giving further details.

Texan billionaire Hicks said last month he was not planning to sell a stake in Liverpool, denying media speculation he was in talks with DIC over a sale.

He also revealed that Gillett could not sell his stake in the Premier League club without his approval.

However, both Hicks and Gillett have become increasingly unpopular among Reds fans, drawing criticism for their treatment of manager Rafael Benitez and their financial management of the club.

That has given fresh hope to DIC, who were considering buying Liverpool before the Americans joined forces to complete their own takeover in February 2007.

Hicks said in January he had talked to DIC "once" about a 10-15% stake, but DIC said the valuation was too high.

DIC are thought to want a controlling stake at Anfield, meaning they would need to convince Hicks to relinquish part of his 50% of the club as well as buying out Gillett.

Another obstacle is the refinancing package announced on 25 January that has loaded £105m of debt on to the club.

Of that, £60m is earmarked to kick-start the new stadium development at Stanley Park plus £45m for future player transfers and to meet the club's working capital needs.

DIC, which manages about £6.5bn of assets, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

Al-Ansari was the man behind the takeover bid a year ago and looked to have succeeded until then Liverpool owner David Moores suddenly opted to sell to the Americans.

"It took me two weeks to get over that," said al-Ansari, who is a Liverpool fan. "But it didn't dent my passion - I still go to every match when I'm here."

[Vermilion]

so nothing has changed then.

yay

Except Dic's slight insult of our owners living in Dreamland. Wonder how Hick's will view that & what his comeback will be.