Fenham Mag Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Please... Can you turn your interest to the north-east. The Independent : Liverpool are engaged in covert talks with one of the wealthiest families in Kuwait, with a view to the sale of the club. The Al-Kharafi family has a collective wealth put at around £8bn, with the most significant member involved in the prospective purchase of Liverpool understood to be Rafed Al-Kharafi, nephew of patriarch Nasser, who was linked with the potential purchase of Newcastle United last year. Though it had been thought that Liverpool's current American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who have been seeking a new owner for months now, may have settled on a figure of £350m – the total sum of the club's debt – it is understood that they may secure £500m for a sale from the Kuwaitis. Two of Hicks' key allies at the club, finance director Philip Nash and commercial director Ian Ayre, have been in Kuwait this week, ostensibly seeking finance for the stalled development of the club's new stadium and though it is as yet unclear whether the two – very much in the Hicks camp – have yet had direct discussions with the Al-Kharafis, the events of the week point to a move towards a sale. One possibly outcome is that that the Al-Kharafis might buy out the 50 per cent share of Hicks' co-owner George Gillett, comfortably the less well off of the two owners and deeply frustrated by the current struggle to settle manager Rafael Benitez's contract issue. The money the Al-Kharafis could bring – made from the family's construction, engineering and telecommunications businesses – is vitally needed, with Hicks and Gillett having conceded weeks ago that they do not have the capital to progress the new stadium project and Benitez still forced to sell players before he can buy. The prospects of a sale were looking slim with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, now out of the picture. But there were rumours earlier this week that financier Amanda Staveley, who had brought al-Maktoum back to the negotiating table after their initial bid to buy Liverpool was dismissed in favour of the Americans in 2007, had become actively involved again in a prospective sale. There are suggestions that Gillett has not been involved in the trip to Kuwait this week – and that he and Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry, an ally, have been kept out of the tentative discussions. But Gillett is the more likely to sell – and the Kuwaitis becoming minority shareholders is a possibility. Though Liverpool's current £350m bank facility was extended for six months earlier this year, there are doubts as to whether it will continue beyond then – with the two banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, both severely by the global financial crisis. A £500m deal, to include taking on the club's debt, was all but agreed by one mystery buyer in the autumn but with a deal seemingly minutes away from signing, it went up in smoke for reasons which have never become clear. It now appears that the prospective buyers on that occasion were the Al Kharafis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouldy_uk Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Great, just what we need now a super rich Liverpool Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Great, just what we need now a super rich Liverpool I don't think it'll make any great difference tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Rhought he was after Chelski? why oh why not us Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gleebals Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Consider Ashley would probably take IRO of £250 - 300, they would be better of straight away to the tune of at least 200M. They would not need a new ground (more money) and would there for have 200M at least to spend on decent manager and a complete overhall of the first team - with money left over. Worth 8bn or not, I think this is the better bet - come and get us please. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Somebody else is looking at Chelsea. Funny that - I keep getting told that theres absolutlely no way anyone in the world can even contemplate buying a football club. Of course perceived success makes a difference - maybe if we'd had a better squad and kept KK and been higher we could have been sold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. That was based on assuming transfer investment which I think owners of this type would guarantee. As a bonus I assume we'd get a proper manager as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BONTEMPI Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Why go for a side that wins things, surely we would be a better proposition? Won't cost as much and actually to get us to win something would be the biggest buzz they could acheive in football Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggs Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. Can you give us any reason why they wont be any better than Ashley ,The Al-Kharafi family wealth estimated at 9.6 billion dollars seems like a no brainer to me bonny lad . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Anyone who has a decent memory will recall that Ashley didn't exactly make himself flavour of the month with the Middle Eastern Community after his arrogant treatment(allegedly..)of those in Dubai who he supposedly went to see last year after they had expressed an interest in buying NUFC... His reputation will have spread, hence the Al-Kharaffis turning their interest to Liverpool..plus, of course, the fact that they will have a ready-made top 5 side to take over rather than one heading for the Championship... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Somebody else is looking at Chelsea. Funny that - I keep getting told that theres absolutlely no way anyone in the world can even contemplate buying a football club. Of course perceived success makes a difference - maybe if we'd had a better squad and kept KK had stayed and been higher we could have been sold. Very true, i've got a slightly different take on it but agreed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. Can you give us any reason why they wont be any better than Ashley ,The Al-Kharafi family wealth estimated at 9.6 billion dollars seems like a no brainer to me bonny lad . Nice and patronising, cheers. I can't really give a reason, no, other than I don't know anything about them or what their plans for the club would be. At the moment it seems like people would sell the club to Mugabe Holdings Ltd if it meant Ashley would leave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 quite sure no one will buy us until we are garantueed to be a premiership team next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stephen927 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Liverpool need a solution quickly, the banks have given their owners a 6 month extension to pay back their debts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrette Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Like that article states one or two did try and look into purchasing us already. Can't see them coming back. Possible missed opportunity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggs Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Why go for a side that wins things, surely we would be a better proposition? Won't cost as much and actually to get us to win something would be the biggest buzz they could acheive in football We would be a much better bet imagine building a team from nowt and taking Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. Can you give us any reason why they wont be any better than Ashley ,The Al-Kharafi family wealth estimated at 9.6 billion dollars seems like a no brainer to me bonny lad . Nice and patronising, cheers. I can't really give a reason, no, other than I don't know anything about them or what their plans for the club would be. At the moment it seems like people would sell the club to Mugabe Holdings Ltd if it meant Ashley would leave. Sorry to sound patronising but a megasuperich arab to a penny pinching english chancer i know who i want to own us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michaelfoster Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 No idea why people are saying they should pick us, a team in the shitter for a CL team who wont need much squad investment & are far more marketable than us, the only thing we have over Liverpool is a bigger stadium. Liverpool have good fan base (fair enough they might nick your wallet), they are a big club, they have a very good squad, very good youth setup and good manager & coaching staff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustynrg Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Why go for a side that wins things, surely we would be a better proposition? Won't cost as much and actually to get us to win something would be the biggest buzz they could acheive in football We would be a much better bet imagine building a team from nowt and taking Does anyone know anything about these people to suggest they would be good for the club? Remember we thought Ashley was going to turn things around when he came in. Can you give us any reason why they wont be any better than Ashley ,The Al-Kharafi family wealth estimated at 9.6 billion dollars seems like a no brainer to me bonny lad . Nice and patronising, cheers. I can't really give a reason, no, other than I don't know anything about them or what their plans for the club would be. At the moment it seems like people would sell the club to Mugabe Holdings Ltd if it meant Ashley would leave. Sorry to sound patronising but a megasuperich arab to a penny pinching english chancer i know who i want to own us. Unfortunately they would take one look at us and run a mile. Mayhem, marches and chaos over a club who may win the Premiership this year? Err let's think about it the Megarich Arabs say, well nowt to think about is there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stephen927 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 It's fruitless anyway, nobody would buy us when Ashley was looking to sell, can't see that changing when we have one foot in the Championship and the other standing on black ice in the Premiership. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kirkpatrick9 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Please... Can you turn your interest to the north-east. The Independent : Liverpool are engaged in covert talks with one of the wealthiest families in Kuwait, with a view to the sale of the club. The Al-Kharafi family has a collective wealth put at around £8bn, with the most significant member involved in the prospective purchase of Liverpool understood to be Rafed Al-Kharafi, nephew of patriarch Nasser, who was linked with the potential purchase of Newcastle United last year. Though it had been thought that Liverpool's current American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who have been seeking a new owner for months now, may have settled on a figure of £350m – the total sum of the club's debt – it is understood that they may secure £500m for a sale from the Kuwaitis. Two of Hicks' key allies at the club, finance director Philip Nash and commercial director Ian Ayre, have been in Kuwait this week, ostensibly seeking finance for the stalled development of the club's new stadium and though it is as yet unclear whether the two – very much in the Hicks camp – have yet had direct discussions with the Al-Kharafis, the events of the week point to a move towards a sale. One possibly outcome is that that the Al-Kharafis might buy out the 50 per cent share of Hicks' co-owner George Gillett, comfortably the less well off of the two owners and deeply frustrated by the current struggle to settle manager Rafael Benitez's contract issue. The money the Al-Kharafis could bring – made from the family's construction, engineering and telecommunications businesses – is vitally needed, with Hicks and Gillett having conceded weeks ago that they do not have the capital to progress the new stadium project and Benitez still forced to sell players before he can buy. The prospects of a sale were looking slim with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, now out of the picture. But there were rumours earlier this week that financier Amanda Staveley, who had brought al-Maktoum back to the negotiating table after their initial bid to buy Liverpool was dismissed in favour of the Americans in 2007, had become actively involved again in a prospective sale. There are suggestions that Gillett has not been involved in the trip to Kuwait this week – and that he and Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry, an ally, have been kept out of the tentative discussions. But Gillett is the more likely to sell – and the Kuwaitis becoming minority shareholders is a possibility. Though Liverpool's current £350m bank facility was extended for six months earlier this year, there are doubts as to whether it will continue beyond then – with the two banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, both severely by the global financial crisis. A £500m deal, to include taking on the club's debt, was all but agreed by one mystery buyer in the autumn but with a deal seemingly minutes away from signing, it went up in smoke for reasons which have never become clear. It now appears that the prospective buyers on that occasion were the Al Kharafis. Liverpool are about 400 million in debt and they still haven't bought a stadium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 400mill in debt holy shit, he must be mental t pay 500mill for a club 400mill in debt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Somebody else is looking at Chelsea. Funny that - I keep getting told that theres absolutlely no way anyone in the world can even contemplate buying a football club. Of course perceived success makes a difference - maybe if we'd had a better squad and kept KK and been higher we could have been sold. I don't usually agree with the NUSC view but the only reason Liverpool are sought after is because of their sustained success over the decades. Otherwise it was just an ordinairy club in an ordinairy city before Shankly. Not sure that KK would make much difference though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 400mill in debt holy shit, he must be mental t pay 500mill for a club 400mill in debt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Somebody else is looking at Chelsea. Funny that - I keep getting told that theres absolutlely no way anyone in the world can even contemplate buying a football club. Of course perceived success makes a difference - maybe if we'd had a better squad and kept KK and been higher we could have been sold. I don't usually agree with the NUSC view but the only reason Liverpool are sought after is because of their sustained success over the decades. Otherwise it was just an ordinairy club in an ordinairy city before Shankly. Not sure that KK would make much difference though. Fair enough but what about the interest in Chelsea who would cost a lot more and I would argue are less prestigious than us historically? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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