© EuroFootball.com
Coach Rafael Benitez and the team management revealed that the club's ownership may fall into the hands of new owners.
A consortium called "Dubai International Capital" (DIC) based in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, announced on Monday that they intend to acquire this English club for 450 million pounds sterling.
"I spoke with the current club owner David Moores and CEO Rick Parry about it and I am satisfied with what I heard. I think it's always good to have more money and opportunities," said R.Benitez.
The club that has become European champions five times provided the investment company with exclusive opportunities to conduct a financial audit at their headquarters before the possible acquisition of the club.
In addition, it is expected that once DIC becomes the new owners of Liverpool, the consortium will invest 200 million pounds sterling in the construction of a new 60,000-seat club stadium, which should be completed by 2009.
"This is the final step on the long road to finding the necessary investors for the club," revealed the team's CEO R.Parry.
DIC executive director Sameeras al-Ansari said: "Liverpool's requirements are open. I hope this will give us the opportunity to find out what both parties need."
Both D.Moores and R.Parry are currently in Liverpool and did not travel with the team to Istanbul, where Liverpool played a Champions League match against the local Galatasaray on Tuesday evening. However, this does not mean the sudden arrival of new owners at the club, as the deal with Arab businessmen is likely to take place only after the New Year.
The investment consortium DIC is controlled by Dubai Holding, which belongs to Dubai's prince and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Mohammed, whose family is also involved in horse racing, is considered the fifth richest person in the world. His wealth is estimated at $10 billion.
DIC has already demonstrated excellent business acumen and respect for determining the club's value," praised the possible club owners the team's CEO R.Parry.
Liverpool has rejected two takeover bids in the past two years. Last year, a "no" was said to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the year before, to the owner of the American football team "New England Patriot", Robert Kraft.
Last month, the owner of the ice hockey club "Montreal Canadiens" George Gillet unsuccessfully tried to buy the representative team of Liverpool city.
If DIC were to take over Liverpool ownership, this club would become the sixth in the English Premier League, whose owners would not be British: "Manchester United" is owned by American M.Glazer's family, "Chelsea" and "Portsmouth" - Russians R.Abramovich and A.Gaydamak, "West Ham" - Icelandic E.Magnusson, and "Aston Villa" - another American, R.Lerner.
