PR have been doing a good job, rounded up all the broadsheets to make for a long read, seeing as it's quiet:
Liverpool planning to complete new stadium for 2009-10 season
Oliver Kay
# Parry moves to reassure supporters
# Moores could be part of next regime
As Steven Gerrard joined Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, in singing the praises of the club’s prospective new owners yesterday, it emerged that the captain could be leading out his team at a new 60,000-capacity stadium on Stanley Park within 2½ years.
With Dubai International Capital (DIC), the private- equity investment arm of the Arab state, and its banker, JPMorgan, continuing to scrutinise the club’s accounts as part of the due diligence process, Liverpool are understood to be close to awarding a contract for the construction of the new stadium. It is rumoured that the company in question is Laing O’Rourke plc, which built the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the City of Manchester Stadium, and the plan is that work on the Stanley Park site, barely quarter of a mile from Anfield, could begin by March, with Liverpool to relocate in time for the start of the 2009-10 season.
The speed of progress has delighted the Liverpool board, which has been unstinting in its commitment to the stadium project. The new stadium is also highly attractive to DIC, which regards the construction as crucial to future revenue streams, although it is not clear whether it will consider selling the name of the stadium, as Parry has hinted the club may be forced to do.
Parry reiterated his confidence in DIC yesterday — adding his belief that David Moores, the club’s chairman, would stay as part of the new regime — while Gerrard expressed similar sentiments after being encouraged by an informal meeting the squad had with Sameer al-Ansari, DIC’s chief executive, as he attended the 4-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday.
“I think the future is bright,” Gerrard said. “There has been a lot of talk in the media about the takeover and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the people who are going to be taking over. I’m very excited. They assured me and the rest of the players that the club is going to be in safe hands.
“The first thing they said was they were very interested in making sure that the club was going to be very successful on and off the pitch. That’s what we wanted to hear. I think the players share the same feelings as the fans.
“The fans have been reading the same things as I’ve been reading and they’ve got every right to be excited. Having met them, I’m even more excited now because I’ve heard their thoughts face to face.”
Parry, while eager to dispel the notion that DIC would approach its investment as Roman Abramovich has his ownership of Chelsea, was similarly upbeat in an interview with the club magazine. “We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly,” Parry said. “In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner.
“We are focused on success, but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge — that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is not about being a rich man’s plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years.
“The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.”
Marco Amelia, the Livorno goalkeeper, could be a firm target for Liverpool during the January transfer window, according to the Italian’s agent, Carlo Pallavicino.
Gerrard excited that 'future is bright' with Dubai takeover
Dominic Fifield and Louise Taylor
Thursday December 14, 2006
The Guardian
Steven Gerrard has insisted that he is "excited" and "the future is bright" at Liverpool after meeting with representatives of Dubai International Capital, who are on the verge of completing a takeover of the Premiership club worth around £450m.
The state-owned private equity firm continue to scrutinise the Merseysiders' books before lodging a formal bid for the club. Yet it says much for their own confidence that a deal can be reached with the chairman, David Moores, that DIC's chief executive Sameer al-Ansari has followed up his meeting with Rafael Benítez earlier this week by speaking to the captain and a number of senior players to outline his long-term vision for Liverpool.
Article continues
"There has been a lot of talk in the media of late about the takeover and I've been fortunate enough to meet with the people who are going to be taking over the club," said Gerrard. "I'm very excited.
"The first thing they said was they were very interested in making sure the future was bright and the club was going to be very successful on and off the pitch. That's what we wanted to hear. I think the players share the same feelings as the fans. We want to be really successful."
Rick Parry, Liverpool's chief executive,, who has been talking to DIC for some 19 months after meeting Al-Ansari at the 2005 Champions League final, has moved to allay some supporters' fears by insisting the club would not merely become a billionaire's "plaything". DIC are ultimately financed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, though the company has been keen to insist it views Liverpool as a profit-generating business.
"It's definitely not about becoming a rich man's plaything," said Parry. "It's about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next 100 years. Detailed negotiations continue ... and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business."
Middlesbrough's Fabio Rochemback may return to Sporting Lisbon next month. The Brazilian midfielder, 25, has not featured in Gareth Southgate's plans lately and Sporting have approached Boro with a view to taking him back on loan until the end of the season.
Southgate is keen to sign David Nugent from Preston in the January transfer window but has been told that, to do so, he must first reduce his wage bill by off-loading players. The only potential problem over Rochemback's mooted return to Portugal is that his salary was increased significantly when he left Sporting in 2005 and the Lisbon club may demand that Boro pay a percentage of his salary. Meanwhile, Newcastle continue to display an interest in persuading Southgate to sell them Mark Viduka next month.
Newcastle are believed to be considering signing Steven Pressley on a short-term deal after the 33-year-old defender's controversial release from Hearts. Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle's chairman, has paid a birthday tribute to Glenn Roeder, who was 51 yesterday. Roeder has won 25 of his first 45 games in charge of Newcastle (excluding last night's game) and Shepherd duly dubbed him an "honorary Geordie". "If I didn't know Glenn Roeder was a cockney I would say he was one of us," declared Shepherd. "He shows all the qualities of a geordie."
The Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley's long-term career at Hearts also appears over. The 30-year-old has been summoned to a disciplinary meeting at Tynecastle today. Hartley had appeared beside Pressley and Craig Gordon at the October media conference when they criticised the Hearts owner, Vladimir Romanov. Celtic and Southampton, who like Newcastle hope to sign Pressley, are set to lead the race for his former team-mate.
Parry shrugs aside warning
By John Ley
Last Updated: 12:17am GMT 14/12/2006
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Your View: Football fans' forum
In pics: Premiership action
Rick Parry, the chief executive of Liverpool, insisted last night that the club would not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital (DIC) went through.
Parry
The Liverpool way: Rick Parry has said the club will not lose its values
Twenty-four hours after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger warned against the pitfalls of rich foreign investment in Premiership clubs, Parry claimed the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, could secure the club's position among the elite for the next century.
DIC are an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed – believed to be the fifth richest man in the world – and they are still working through the club's accounts, but are expected to make a formal offer for Liverpool worth around £450 million.
Parry, speaking in the latest edition of Liverpool FC magazine, said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge. That is not a sound long-term strategy.
"It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next 100 years."
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Parry claimed that the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business.
"What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage that has generated a world-wide fan base. We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly.
"In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner."
Parry confirmed that if the takeover is completed, current chairman David Moores would be given some kind of boardroom role.
Liverpool will not be 'rich man's plaything'
By Martyn Ziegler
Published: 14 December 2006
Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry is insistent the club will not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital goes through.
The firm, an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is still working through the club's accounts but is expected to make a formal offer worth around £450m. The sheikh is believed to be the fifth richest person in the world with a fortune that dwarfs even that of Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, but Parry says Liverpool will not indulge in profligate spending.
He insists the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, can secure Liverpool's position among the elite for a century. Parry said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge, that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years."
Parry said the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC's chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them. The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business. What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage [and] a worldwide fan base."
Parry said the takeover was not yet "a done deal", but admitted he was excited. He said: "We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly. In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner. Things are not over yet, despite suggestions to the contrary saying it is a done deal. Detailed negotiations continue, and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage because discussions have been going on for a long time."
Parry confirmed that should the takeover go through, the current chairman, David Moores, would be given a boardroom role. He said: "David Moores will have a role to play moving forward. Of course he wants that. After all, he is a lifelong fan not just the owner."
A DIC source said: "We are very much in agreement with Rick Parry's remarks. If we do a deal we would aim to have a long-term relationship with Liverpool. We will get the stadium built and help the club move on to the next level."
Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry is insistent the club will not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital goes through.
The firm, an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is still working through the club's accounts but is expected to make a formal offer worth around £450m. The sheikh is believed to be the fifth richest person in the world with a fortune that dwarfs even that of Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, but Parry says Liverpool will not indulge in profligate spending.
He insists the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, can secure Liverpool's position among the elite for a century. Parry said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge, that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years."
Parry said the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC's chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them. The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business. What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage [and] a worldwide fan base."
Parry said the takeover was not yet "a done deal", but admitted he was excited. He said: "We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly. In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner. Things are not over yet, despite suggestions to the contrary saying it is a done deal. Detailed negotiations continue, and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage because discussions have been going on for a long time."
Parry confirmed that should the takeover go through, the current chairman, David Moores, would be given a boardroom role. He said: "David Moores will have a role to play moving forward. Of course he wants that. After all, he is a lifelong fan not just the owner."
A DIC source said: "We are very much in agreement with Rick Parry's remarks. If we do a deal we would aim to have a long-term relationship with Liverpool. We will get the stadium built and help the club move on to the next level."
Liverpool planning to complete new stadium for 2009-10 season
Oliver Kay
# Parry moves to reassure supporters
# Moores could be part of next regime
As Steven Gerrard joined Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, in singing the praises of the club’s prospective new owners yesterday, it emerged that the captain could be leading out his team at a new 60,000-capacity stadium on Stanley Park within 2½ years.
With Dubai International Capital (DIC), the private- equity investment arm of the Arab state, and its banker, JPMorgan, continuing to scrutinise the club’s accounts as part of the due diligence process, Liverpool are understood to be close to awarding a contract for the construction of the new stadium. It is rumoured that the company in question is Laing O’Rourke plc, which built the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the City of Manchester Stadium, and the plan is that work on the Stanley Park site, barely quarter of a mile from Anfield, could begin by March, with Liverpool to relocate in time for the start of the 2009-10 season.
The speed of progress has delighted the Liverpool board, which has been unstinting in its commitment to the stadium project. The new stadium is also highly attractive to DIC, which regards the construction as crucial to future revenue streams, although it is not clear whether it will consider selling the name of the stadium, as Parry has hinted the club may be forced to do.
Parry reiterated his confidence in DIC yesterday — adding his belief that David Moores, the club’s chairman, would stay as part of the new regime — while Gerrard expressed similar sentiments after being encouraged by an informal meeting the squad had with Sameer al-Ansari, DIC’s chief executive, as he attended the 4-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday.
“I think the future is bright,” Gerrard said. “There has been a lot of talk in the media about the takeover and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the people who are going to be taking over. I’m very excited. They assured me and the rest of the players that the club is going to be in safe hands.
“The first thing they said was they were very interested in making sure that the club was going to be very successful on and off the pitch. That’s what we wanted to hear. I think the players share the same feelings as the fans.
“The fans have been reading the same things as I’ve been reading and they’ve got every right to be excited. Having met them, I’m even more excited now because I’ve heard their thoughts face to face.”
Parry, while eager to dispel the notion that DIC would approach its investment as Roman Abramovich has his ownership of Chelsea, was similarly upbeat in an interview with the club magazine. “We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly,” Parry said. “In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner.
“We are focused on success, but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge — that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is not about being a rich man’s plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years.
“The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.”
Marco Amelia, the Livorno goalkeeper, could be a firm target for Liverpool during the January transfer window, according to the Italian’s agent, Carlo Pallavicino.
Gerrard excited that 'future is bright' with Dubai takeover
Dominic Fifield and Louise Taylor
Thursday December 14, 2006
The Guardian
Steven Gerrard has insisted that he is "excited" and "the future is bright" at Liverpool after meeting with representatives of Dubai International Capital, who are on the verge of completing a takeover of the Premiership club worth around £450m.
The state-owned private equity firm continue to scrutinise the Merseysiders' books before lodging a formal bid for the club. Yet it says much for their own confidence that a deal can be reached with the chairman, David Moores, that DIC's chief executive Sameer al-Ansari has followed up his meeting with Rafael Benítez earlier this week by speaking to the captain and a number of senior players to outline his long-term vision for Liverpool.
Article continues
"There has been a lot of talk in the media of late about the takeover and I've been fortunate enough to meet with the people who are going to be taking over the club," said Gerrard. "I'm very excited.
"The first thing they said was they were very interested in making sure the future was bright and the club was going to be very successful on and off the pitch. That's what we wanted to hear. I think the players share the same feelings as the fans. We want to be really successful."
Rick Parry, Liverpool's chief executive,, who has been talking to DIC for some 19 months after meeting Al-Ansari at the 2005 Champions League final, has moved to allay some supporters' fears by insisting the club would not merely become a billionaire's "plaything". DIC are ultimately financed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, though the company has been keen to insist it views Liverpool as a profit-generating business.
"It's definitely not about becoming a rich man's plaything," said Parry. "It's about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next 100 years. Detailed negotiations continue ... and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business."
Middlesbrough's Fabio Rochemback may return to Sporting Lisbon next month. The Brazilian midfielder, 25, has not featured in Gareth Southgate's plans lately and Sporting have approached Boro with a view to taking him back on loan until the end of the season.
Southgate is keen to sign David Nugent from Preston in the January transfer window but has been told that, to do so, he must first reduce his wage bill by off-loading players. The only potential problem over Rochemback's mooted return to Portugal is that his salary was increased significantly when he left Sporting in 2005 and the Lisbon club may demand that Boro pay a percentage of his salary. Meanwhile, Newcastle continue to display an interest in persuading Southgate to sell them Mark Viduka next month.
Newcastle are believed to be considering signing Steven Pressley on a short-term deal after the 33-year-old defender's controversial release from Hearts. Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle's chairman, has paid a birthday tribute to Glenn Roeder, who was 51 yesterday. Roeder has won 25 of his first 45 games in charge of Newcastle (excluding last night's game) and Shepherd duly dubbed him an "honorary Geordie". "If I didn't know Glenn Roeder was a cockney I would say he was one of us," declared Shepherd. "He shows all the qualities of a geordie."
The Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley's long-term career at Hearts also appears over. The 30-year-old has been summoned to a disciplinary meeting at Tynecastle today. Hartley had appeared beside Pressley and Craig Gordon at the October media conference when they criticised the Hearts owner, Vladimir Romanov. Celtic and Southampton, who like Newcastle hope to sign Pressley, are set to lead the race for his former team-mate.
Parry shrugs aside warning
By John Ley
Last Updated: 12:17am GMT 14/12/2006
Comment on this story Read comments
Your View: Football fans' forum
In pics: Premiership action
Rick Parry, the chief executive of Liverpool, insisted last night that the club would not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital (DIC) went through.
Parry
The Liverpool way: Rick Parry has said the club will not lose its values
Twenty-four hours after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger warned against the pitfalls of rich foreign investment in Premiership clubs, Parry claimed the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, could secure the club's position among the elite for the next century.
DIC are an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed – believed to be the fifth richest man in the world – and they are still working through the club's accounts, but are expected to make a formal offer for Liverpool worth around £450 million.
Parry, speaking in the latest edition of Liverpool FC magazine, said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge. That is not a sound long-term strategy.
"It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next 100 years."
advertisement
Parry claimed that the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business.
"What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage that has generated a world-wide fan base. We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly.
"In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner."
Parry confirmed that if the takeover is completed, current chairman David Moores would be given some kind of boardroom role.
Liverpool will not be 'rich man's plaything'
By Martyn Ziegler
Published: 14 December 2006
Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry is insistent the club will not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital goes through.
The firm, an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is still working through the club's accounts but is expected to make a formal offer worth around £450m. The sheikh is believed to be the fifth richest person in the world with a fortune that dwarfs even that of Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, but Parry says Liverpool will not indulge in profligate spending.
He insists the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, can secure Liverpool's position among the elite for a century. Parry said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge, that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years."
Parry said the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC's chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them. The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business. What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage [and] a worldwide fan base."
Parry said the takeover was not yet "a done deal", but admitted he was excited. He said: "We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly. In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner. Things are not over yet, despite suggestions to the contrary saying it is a done deal. Detailed negotiations continue, and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage because discussions have been going on for a long time."
Parry confirmed that should the takeover go through, the current chairman, David Moores, would be given a boardroom role. He said: "David Moores will have a role to play moving forward. Of course he wants that. After all, he is a lifelong fan not just the owner."
A DIC source said: "We are very much in agreement with Rick Parry's remarks. If we do a deal we would aim to have a long-term relationship with Liverpool. We will get the stadium built and help the club move on to the next level."
Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry is insistent the club will not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital goes through.
The firm, an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is still working through the club's accounts but is expected to make a formal offer worth around £450m. The sheikh is believed to be the fifth richest person in the world with a fortune that dwarfs even that of Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, but Parry says Liverpool will not indulge in profligate spending.
He insists the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, can secure Liverpool's position among the elite for a century. Parry said: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge, that is not a sound long-term strategy. It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years."
Parry said the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fan base. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand.
"It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position, with DIC's chief executive, Sameer al-Ansari, possibly becoming chairman.
"At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them. The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus.
"We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business. What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage [and] a worldwide fan base."
Parry said the takeover was not yet "a done deal", but admitted he was excited. He said: "We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly. In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner. Things are not over yet, despite suggestions to the contrary saying it is a done deal. Detailed negotiations continue, and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage because discussions have been going on for a long time."
Parry confirmed that should the takeover go through, the current chairman, David Moores, would be given a boardroom role. He said: "David Moores will have a role to play moving forward. Of course he wants that. After all, he is a lifelong fan not just the owner."
A DIC source said: "We are very much in agreement with Rick Parry's remarks. If we do a deal we would aim to have a long-term relationship with Liverpool. We will get the stadium built and help the club move on to the next level."
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