Saudi Investor buy 25% liverpool stock

[philyhamann]

I don't think it would become anything like Leeds, we'd sell one of our players for 30m and that'd be the end of it. I'd be concerned if we missed out on it two seasons in a row though, thats when we'd have Leeds type scenario.

[DonaldDonaldson]

Latest from Bascombe

 

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 26/09/2009

 

LIVERPOOL are the subject of a possible £200million investment from a Saudi billionaire - and that has re-ignited the bitter war between Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

 

The Anfield co-owners are still both trying to sell each other's half of the club.

 

Prince Faisal bin fahad bin Abdullah al Saud attended yesterday's 6-1 thrashing of Hull as a guest of Gillett and was even taken into the dressing room to meet the team.

 

Although he was aware of the Saudis' attendance, Hicks was not part of any of the discussions with or invitations to the Prince, who claims he will negotiate for as much as 50 per cent of the club.

 

Sources close to Gillett insist the Prince's visit was primarily about setting up Liverpool FC Academies in the Middle East, playing down the guest's investment talk.

 

But Sport of the World understands the invitation is part of ongoing efforts by the co-owners to oust the other from the Anfield boardroom. The pair are pursuing new co-investors separately. Prince Faisal, who was flanked by three bodyguards in the Directors' Box, is chief executive of F6, a marketing and investment company in Saudi Arabia.

 

He is the latest in a series of potential investors invited to Anfield.

 

His primary interest is in sports such as powerboat racing. He is president of Saudi Water Sports Federation and has shown little previous interest in football.

 

Ironically, Hicks has appointed financial advisors Merrill Lynch to seek millions from Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East. Again, he has acted independently from Gillett.

 

Gillett is currently in a stronger financial position than his co-owner, having sold the Montreal Canadians ice hockey side for around £360m. Hicks has consistently flexed more muscle in his boardroom power struggles.

 

He has overseen the appointment of managing director Christian Purslow, forced through the five-year extension to Rafa Benitez's contract and the departure of ex-chief executive Rick Parry.

 

Last year, owners of the Delhi Daredevils Indian Premier League club were wined and dined by Hicks.

 

Leaked documents compiled by Merrill Lynch and sent to potential investors last March underline why Liverpool are still desperate for investment.

 

Until they raise the funds to build the new stadium on Stanley Park, the club will continue to lose as much as £55m per year in matchday income.

 

Despite this, manager Benitez has been assured a £100m kitty over the next five years, providing Liverpool consistently reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

 

Qualifying for the group stages of the competition has long been Benitez's minimum requirement to raise funds.

 

But he must ensure Liverpool are in the knockout stages every season until 2014 to preserve his current £20m-a-year net spend. The club's ambitious budgeting is a consequence of Benitez achieving this goal in every season since his arrival.

 

Liverpool have failed to progress into the quarter-finals just once since his move to Merseyside in 2004.

 

And a win over Fiorentina in Italy in midweek would go a long way to securing a safe passage this season, too, preserving his spending power next summer.

 

The transfer vow, although heavily incentivised through on-field performance, is partially reassuring to Kop fans, especially as this figure will grow if Liverpool reach the later stages or win the competition.

 

Both Hicks and Gillett are increasingly hitting back at claims they have failed to invest in the team since their controversial takeover three years ago.

 

Sources close to the duo say they are baffled at the unfavourable financial comparisons with Arsenal and Manchester United, who they insist they have outspent since taking over Liverpool.

 

The club's own study into transfer activity revealed how, up until the end of last season, the Merseysiders had splashed out £205.3m on players since 2004, recouping £98.75m from sales.

 

That figure does not take into account an estimated £10m invested on youth players over the same period.

 

Fans desperate for the Americans to sell their stake have warned about the club becoming the next Leeds United, but club insiders dismiss those fears.

 

Gillett was confronted by angry fans at Liverpool's Academy yesterday morning, when he launched a stern defence of his role at the club and refuted claims of financial instability.

 

A Kop source told Sport of the World: "It's nonsense to suggest Liverpool is going the same way as Leeds.

 

"The documents leaked are out of date. They were written last November and don't take into account the refinancing last summer or the record sponsorship deal we've just completed, but you can see how prudent the club is being.

 

"We are not spending above our means and the targets set were based on the last five years' income.

 

"A net spend of £20m per season compares favourably with our top four rivals. You only have to look at what Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have spent over the same period to see that."

 

However, the latest developments underline how fragile the recent truces are. And there could be further divisions ahead over the appointment of a new chief executive.

 

Gillett is anticipating a shortlist for Parry's replacement to be drawn up as early as next week and sees Purslow's role as merely transitional.

 

The managing director has been commuting from London twice a week since joining the club, although his exceptional performance so far means he is likely to take a broader, long-term role.

 

"Give the owners some slack", "£240 million drive for new stadium sponsorship", and now this bollocks about the Club's 'ambitious' budgeting, amongst various bollocks, Bascombe may aswell be wearing a mini skirt and shaking a pair of pom poms....Give us a Y, Y, Give us an A, A, Give us an N, N, Give us a K, K, Give us an S, S, and what have you got? A sycophantic short-arsed hack :D

Edited September 26, 2009 by DonaldDonaldson

[mattyq]

Bascombe's bending over and spreading his cheeks. Shame

[ali]

Liverpool in talks over £125m investment from Arab prince

 

Published 23:00 26/09/09 By Simon Mullock

 

 

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett was in talks on Saturday night about selling a 25 per cent stake in the Anfield club to an Arab prince in a deal worth £125million.

 

Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Gillett has met with Prince Khalid al-Faisal and members of of the Saudi royal family about investment opportunities at Liverpool.

 

Discussions initially began about various commercial projects but quickly progressed into talks aimed at bringing the prince in as a co-owner to work alongside Gillett and his fellow American Tom Hicks.

 

Any share deal would require the blessing of Hicks before it could be rubber-stamped. And although Hicks is yet to meet personally with Prince Khalid, it is understood that the Texan is ready to welcome a new partner if the terms of the deal are right.

 

Hicks and Gillett have been searching the Middle East for potential investors to ease the burden of the club’s £300m debts.

 

Liverpool had a record turnover last year and have just announced football’s biggest shirt sponsorship deal, worth £20m-a-year with Standard Chartered Bank.

 

But the club has been unable to finance the construction of a new 60,000-capacity stadium at Stanley Park because of the credit crunch.

 

And manager Rafa Benitez has been told that he must work within a strict transfer budget of £20m-a-year.

 

A Liverpool spokesman refused to comment on the new developments.

 

Liverpool in talks over £125m investment from Arab prince - MirrorFootball.co.uk

[philyhamann]

Yeah, he really needs a word with himself there. Maybe they'd deserve some slack if they had held their hands up, or not lied through their fucking teeth while costing the club absoluetely shit loads of money in designing a stadium that wasn't feasible in the first place. The financial climate is an excuse for them; its just a shame that the credit crunch happened a year or two AFTER they took over - they promised to have the project going within 60 days, then a few months and even got boards up around the park.

[Vincent Vega]

I don't think it would become anything like Leeds, we'd sell one of our players for 30m and that'd be the end of it. I'd be concerned if we missed out on it two seasons in a row though, thats when we'd have Leeds type scenario.

 

But if we sell a £30m player and spend the kind of money we did this year and that's assuming we still had that £20m budget (spits), we'd stay where we were and thus miss out on CL football again. Spurs and City are determined to muscle their way into the top four, if they sense weakness from us, they'll press whatever advantage they can home.

 

Our best hope of getting rid of the two sheisters may be to miss out on the CL for 2 years running, but perversely it may well cause irreparable damage to the club.

[philyhamann]

But if we sell a £30m player and spend the kind of money we did this year and that's assuming we still had that £20m budget (spits), we'd stay where we were and thus miss out on CL football again. Spurs and City are determined to muscle their way into the top four, if they sense weakness from us, they'll press whatever advantage they can home.

 

Our best hope of getting rid of the two sheisters may be to miss out on the CL for 2 years running, but perversely it may well cause irreparable damage to the club.

 

I wouldn't mind cause all the glory hunters would go back to the hole they were in pre-2005.

[Malarkey]

I don't think it would become anything like Leeds, we'd sell one of our players for 30m and that'd be the end of it. I'd be concerned if we missed out on it two seasons in a row though, thats when we'd have Leeds type scenario.

 

That has a knock on effect though mate. Gerrard or Torres for £30 Million, then that's the debt serviced. Then we are minus a world class player and we can't buy anyone else. You know where this is going?

[philyhamann]

As long as we have Gerrard and Torres we will always be in the CL.

[Vincent Vega]

I wouldn't mind cause all the glory hunters would go back to the hole they were in pre-2005.

 

The glory hunters have been following us since long before 2005 Phily.

[Torvald Utne]

I started glory hunting back in 1985 when my dad took me to see Newcastle v Liverpool but I thought Liverpool were much better.

[philyhamann]

The glory hunters have been following us since long before 2005 Phily.

 

30k in the group stage CL games, walking up to the ticket office the day before the Olympiakos game to get a pair of Kop tickets for it. Yes please.

[Vincent Vega]

30k in the group stage CL games, walking up to the ticket office the day before the Olympiakos game to get a pair of Kop tickets for it. Yes please.

 

Every out of towner who posts on here is a glory hunter and 99% of them were following us before 2005. They are also just a drop in the ocean.

[Redzawi]

translate this

 

جريدة الرياض : مستثمر يتقدم بشراء 50 بالمئة من أسهم ليÙربول

 

fresh news and also contain prince statement

[Redzawi]

translation :

 

 

 

Saudi investor expressed interest in purchasing 50 percent stake in Liverpool Football Club, said Chairman of the Board of Directors f6 Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, said his company signed on yesterday, "Saturday," investment contracts with the club owners, and with a private company to club owner George Gillette specializes motorsports, said in a statement to "Sport Low": "We signed this evening, several decades with Liverpool Football Club, after my visit to the club and attending the match against Hull City, and contracts is an investment and the establishment of sports academies will be channeled in the interests of sport in Saudi Arabia the future, and we'll create academies in the Kingdom we will select the future, in addition to a similar number in North Africa. "

 

And Prince Faisal Bin Fahad said: "We are at the present time to acquire a 50 percent stake in the club, who are currently suffering from debts of up to 245 million pounds sterling, and the value of the deal would tend to discount soon about 200 to 350 million pounds, and in if the contract was signed, this will become a great club that is one of the best and most famous clubs. "

[loadsoftrophies]

I can't trust anything anymore, is this good or bad? Are we Portsmouth or City or a bit in between?

[catinhat]

translation :

 

 

 

Saudi investor expressed interest in purchasing 50 percent stake in Liverpool Football Club, said Chairman of the Board of Directors f6 Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, said his company signed on yesterday, "Saturday," investment contracts with the club owners, and with a private company to club owner George Gillette specializes motorsports, said in a statement to "Sport Low": "We signed this evening, several decades with Liverpool Football Club, after my visit to the club and attending the match against Hull City, and contracts is an investment and the establishment of sports academies will be channeled in the interests of sport in Saudi Arabia the future, and we'll create academies in the Kingdom we will select the future, in addition to a similar number in North Africa. "

 

And Prince Faisal Bin Fahad said: "We are at the present time to acquire a 50 percent stake in the club, who are currently suffering from debts of up to 245 million pounds sterling, and the value of the deal would tend to discount soon about 200 to 350 million pounds, and in if the contract was signed, this will become a great club that is one of the best and most famous clubs. "

 

Thanks for the translation. I guess something could be lost in the translation, but "this will become a great club that is one of the best and most famous clubs" sounds like he needs a bit of PR training so that he can at least pretend to know something about us.

[Redzawi]

Thanks for the translation. I guess something could be lost in the translation, but "this will become a great club that is one of the best and most famous clubs" sounds like he needs a bit of PR training so that he can at least pretend to know something about us.

 

google translation is bad ..

 

I speak arabic and I'll translate this manually without google

 

he said" if this done , it will be great because liverpool one of the best and most famous clubs"

[catinhat]

google translation is bad ..

 

I speak arabic and I'll translate this manually without google

 

he said" if this done , it will be great because liverpool one of the best and most famous clubs"

 

 

Thanks - this sounds more encouraging

[Redzawi]

^

 

now .. I believe ryan babel about mistakes in translation of his statement :P

[col06]

50% is this the real deal or another false dawn ??

[Ian Sea]

When he says 50%, does he mean that he's buying either Hicks or Gillett out, or that he's having 25% off both? I don't think Hicks would consider becoming a junior partner for one second.

 

I doubt this will go through at all, those 2 American fuckwits are bound to fuck up any potential deal with their squabbling.

[col06]

I doubt this will go through at all, those 2 American fuckwits are bound to fuck up any potential deal with their squabbling.

 

too right :eek:

[catinhat]

When he says 50%, does he mean that he's buying either Hicks or Gillett out, or that he's having 25% off both? I don't think Hicks would consider becoming a junior partner for one second.

 

I doubt this will go through at all, those 2 American fuckwits are bound to fuck up any potential deal with their squabbling.

 

At this point, have no way of knowing whether it would even be a good thing if it did go though - we might just end up with 3 egotistic owners pulling the club in different directions each caring more about $ than the team. I - and most on here - know as much about this guy as we did G+H before they bought the club...

 

I bet he wants 50% of the club for the amount he's willing to put in, but G+H are no doubt still over-valuing the club, so probably think his potential huge cash injection is only worth 25% of the club.

[lifetime fan]

translation :

 

 

 

Saudi investor expressed interest in purchasing 50 percent stake in Liverpool Football Club, said Chairman of the Board of Directors f6 Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, said his company signed on yesterday, "Saturday," investment contracts with the club owners, and with a private company to club owner George Gillette specializes motorsports, said in a statement to "Sport Low": "We signed this evening, several decades with Liverpool Football Club, after my visit to the club and attending the match against Hull City, and contracts is an investment and the establishment of sports academies will be channeled in the interests of sport in Saudi Arabia the future, and we'll create academies in the Kingdom we will select the future, in addition to a similar number in North Africa. "

 

And Prince Faisal Bin Fahad said: "We are at the present time to acquire a 50 percent stake in the club, who are currently suffering from debts of up to 245 million pounds sterling, and the value of the deal would tend to discount soon about 200 to 350 million pounds, and in if the contract was signed, this will become a great club that is one of the best and most famous clubs. "

 

 

So they have agreed some kind of investment for footballing academies and a bit of sponsorship and signed these deals Saturday night.

 

Now they are discussing a 25 or 50% stake in the club but have agreed or signed nothing.

 

Thats my take on it anyway.