Rafa Benitez has had his first direct contact with his prospective new bosses and been assured he can start making long-term plans for taking Liverpool back to the top of English football.
Any misgivings about Dubai Inernational Capital's intentions, in drawing up a £450million takeover bid, were swept aside as Benitez sat down with the investment group's chief exective Sameer al-Ansari at Anfield and discussed ways of making Liverpool champions for the first time since 1990.
As al-Ansari flew back to Dubai, to put the final touches to a deal that could be rubberstamped in the next few days, Benitez opened up on their first face-to-face talks and outlined his growing belief that it could mark the start of a new era of achievement.
"I have spoken to the people involved," said the Liverpool manager. "It was a very nice meeting, and, though we did not talk about details of the takeover, they made it clear they want to do the right things for Liverpool in the future.
"This will not be a short-term deal. Their idea is to make Liverpool a success in the long term, and that has to be good. They seemed very nice people, and very impressive as well."
It is understood al-Ansari has set up two key meetings in Dubai over the next few days. A handful of influential figures among DIC's 10,000 investors will be consulted tomorrow and on Saturday, prior to the group's 11-man board arriving at a final decision over the weekend.
If the scheme to become Liverpool's new owners is officially endorsed, as seems almost certain, an announcement could be made on Monday, in an unexpectedly early breakthrough that could yet release extra transfer funds for Benitez in January, let alone at the end of the season.
Blackburn right-back Lucas Neill remains the likeliest New Year capture after Benitez narrowly failed to prise him away from Ewood Park during the summer.
It is believed the Australia defender is not merely seen as extra insurance for a position that has been left without cover since Jan Krompkamp's departure and that he has been made aware of the possibilities of an immediate starting place.
While it may sound a worrying development for current right-back Steve Finnan, Benitez privately maintains the £5million signing from Fulham still has a role to play and that Neill's capture would be an important step towards strengthening the right flank.
With Jermaine Pennant yet to justify the £6million he cost Liverpool at the start of the season, it is thought Neill could claim the right-back berth, with Finnan moving forward to provide solidity on the right of midfield.
As Benitez considered his options, he could at least rest easy that the recent uncertainty over the club's future direction appeared to be nearing an end.
After delving into the financial implications of assuming command at Anfield, the only issue still worrying DIC chiefs is the £200million it will cost to build a new ground at nearby Stanley Park.
As with any of their investments, they expect a 10 per cent profit on their outlay by year three of ownership but are fearful that yield target will be missed, if Liverpool remain the sole users of the 60,000-seater state-of-the-art stadium.
After completing a fiscal study of the project, they suggested reviving the idea of sharing with neighbours Everton but were eventually talked out of it, in favour of the venue being made available for concerts and other functions as a means of balancing the books. The fortunes wasted on Gerard Houllier signings, such as El Hadji Diouf, Djibril Cisse, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao, also raised eyebrows, and it is understood al-Ansari is particularly keen to avoid falling into the same trap that snared Chelsea after Roman Abramovich's arrival, with asking prices suddenly multiplying at mention of their name.
But they are delighted with the co-operation shown by chairman David Moores and have assured Benitez that, while they will look after business concerns, he will have full control of all football matters.
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