Times Exlusive: India's richest man wants to buy Liverpool

[rav]

What do people actually know about these two guys though?

Please don't just say they can't be any worse than Hicks and Gillett.

the ambani fella involved is meant to be fairly decent (his brother is a bit of a showy tit apparently). roy on the other hand is meant to be very dodgy and someone we'd want to stay away from

[kanonkop]

I have googled both and found nothing untoward as yet.  Not a detailed search obviously but the same simple search uncovered all sorts of shit about the current owners by comparison.

Both these guys have real genuine personal wealth as opposed to the yanks who only had borrowed money.  So that is an improvement.

Both these guys have built up highly successful businesses based on their own nous and abilities as opposed to G&H who I thinkhave just borrowed and lied their way to whatever money they have made.

Not saying they are perfect, we need to find out more about them of course but they already tick quite a few boxes that G&H don't.

[bavo]

Crap source but worth posting anyway....

11 February 2010 | By Adam Fraser

Despite denials from Liverpool FC that Indian businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Subrata Roy are amongst the potential investors in negotiations with the club, sources in India insist that Roy is seriously considering a bid for the Anfield giants, which could emerge within the next ten days.

Roy, chairman of the Sahara Group conglomerate, has consistently supported Indian cricket and distanced himself from a move to buy a Premier League soccer club, but rumours linking him with a move to Liverpool have not gone away, and an increasing number of sources close to Sahara claim that Roy is seriously considering the move.

'It is believed Roy is examining the viability of buying a stake, which would dilute the shareholding of Liverpool's co-owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks,' notes the Daily Telegraph newspaper. 'Liverpool remain confident of completing an equity infusion, a stated "requirement" of their banks, RBS and Wachovia, if Hicks and Gillett are to refinance their £237 million loan this summer before the end of the season.'

Earlier this week Rafa Benitez, Liverpool's manager, added his voice to those calling for Hicks and Gillett, to sell a stake in the club to fresh investors.

"Everyone knows we need a new stadium and investors if we want to go forward so it would be good for the club," Benitez told ESPN. "Over the last two years everyone is talking about new investors and the new stadium and so all the fans are waiting for this good news - and me too."

[MSC]

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Doubts_over_Sahara_buying_debtridden_Liverpool-nid-65421.html

Doubts over Sahara buying debt-ridden Liverpool
By IANS
Friday 12 February 2010 20:45 hrs       
         
New Delhi: The British media is abuzz that Indian business tycoon Subrata Roy is interested in buying English Premier League club Liverpool, but no-one is prepared to believe that he will invest in a debt-ridden football club.

Lord Triesman, the Football Association chairman, has already warned that debts in the English football are up to $4.4 billion and are "at high risk levels" in a global economic crisis.

But despite these warnings, Roy is ready to increase the pace of his bid for Liverpool, The Times, London, reported Wednesday.

Sahara spokesman Avijit Sarkar, however, declined on the comment on the issue.

"We are presently not in a position to comment on the issue," he said.

India's wealthiest man, Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani, was also linked with the proposed deal, but he has refuted the reports.

According to sources, Sahara has offered to take on Liverpool's 237 million pounds debt in exchange for 51 per cent of the club's stakes, the terms that the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr are unlikely to accept. Pressure is, however, mounting on the co-owners from Royal Bank of Scotland to pay off 100 million pounds of the debt by July.

The bank has become increasingly frustrated by the failure of the Americans to bring new investment to Anfield.

But a source in Anfield told IANS that infighting in the club over debts will make it difficult for the Americans to get a prospective investor.

"There is lot of internal conflict among the owners. The owners are desperately looking for investors but are not ready to lose their stakes," the source said.

Sources inside the club have claimed that up to 125 million pounds is about to be pumped into Anfield, but few potential investors have found the prospect of taking a minority share to prop up the dysfunctional reign of Gillett and Hicks palatable.

Merrill Lynch and Rothschild have been charged with finding an injection of fresh cash, but the Americans have approached other merchant banks over the past month as they cast their net ever wider in search of investment.

[bavo]

Why can't RBS just force them to sell up ffs.

[Roma77]

Just seen this on rawk. This looks really really really promising. Hopefully he is trying to buy before Saturday so he can sit in the directors box a couple of seats away from his brother. Lo and behold, our worries are over at last.


Poster on another forum (poster I don't know and on a forum that is non-LFC related) mentioning that the owner (H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan) of the investment company he works for, Al Bateen Investment Company LLC, is in talks to buy 75% of LFC for 300 million pounds. The US negotiating team in in Dubai now, hoping to finalize the deal by Saturday. According to the poster, if this deal does not go through, Goldman Sachs is also interested - which would mean we would get more f***ed.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the ex-prime minister of UAE. His brother owns Manchester City.

[adidaslad]

Just seen this on rawk. This looks really really really promising. Hopefully he is trying to buy before Saturday so he can sit in the directors box a couple of seats away from his brother. Joy and behold, our worries are over at last.


Poster on another forum (poster I don't know and on a forum that is non-LFC related) mentioning that the owner (H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan) of the investment company he works for, Al Bateen Investment Company LLC, is in talks to buy 75% of LFC for 300 million pounds. The US negotiating team in in Dubai now, hoping to finalize the deal by Saturday. According to the poster, if this deal does not go through, Goldman Sachs is also interested - which would mean we would get more f***ed.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the ex-prime minister of UAE. His brother owns Manchester City.

Glad that's sorted then.

[Roma77]

Glad that's sorted then.

You don't believe it either ?

[Pepes Bald Head]

Hmmm

[joeb090]

So we will still be owned by  fat Yanks come the weekend?

[butts_lfc]

Hope so but doubt it

[elliotgc]

So we will still be owned by  fat Yanks come the weekend?

Hope so but doubt it

Eh? Surely being owned by fat Yanks is a BAD thing?

[rob76]

how is this rumour/attempt at buyout different to the dozen or so that preceeded it?

[elliotgc]

how is this rumour/attempt at buyout different to the dozen or so that preceeded it?

Exactly. How is it any different to saying 'my dad's cousin's husband is a taxi driver and yesterday his passenger was The Queen's corgies' trainer's nephew's cousin once removed and he said that The Queen is going to buy Liverpool'?

Now let's just sit and wait for THAT to be printed in the rags tomorrow?

[joeb090]

Eh? Surely being owned by fat Yanks is a BAD thing?

Didnt say it was good or bad.

Just that I dont think any one will buy us.

[gramck24]

This will rumble on till at least the summer... at which point the Yanks will probably agree a new re-fi deal with RBS and will involve more asset stripping i.e. players.

[redginge]

This will rumble on till at least the summer... at which point the Yanks will probably agree a new re-fi deal with RBS and will involve more asset stripping i.e. players.

Sad but more than likely true. Bad feeling that things could get really bad before they get better.

[rav]

This will rumble on till at least the summer... at which point the Yanks will probably agree a new re-fi deal with RBS and will involve more asset stripping i.e. players.

thought the issue atm with rbs was the debt:value ratio was too high and whilst wanting to drop the debt by £100m selling players (esp a torres) would drop the value too?

personally i reckon something will happen in the summer, cant see anyone coming in until just before rbs pull the plug on them as the two twats will want a ridiculous amount for the club until they are literally forced to sell up

[redheadfred]

how is this rumour/attempt at buyout different to the dozen or so that preceeded it?

It's not; hence I am not buying into the rumor.  Would be great, but cannot see it happening, yet.

[Roma77]

thought the issue atm with rbs was the debt:value ratio was too high and whilst wanting to drop the debt by £100m selling players (esp a torres) would drop the value too?

This is correct. If they get the 100m invested then that will go to reduce the debt and that is what RBS are desperate for. If this happens there is no chance of selling any of our top players as that, as you said, will reduce the value of the club both directly as in the value of the squad, and indirectly due to the fact we would become less successful because of a weaker team on the pitch.
What appeals to me is if they do not get the investment they crave. Hopefully RBS will then force their hand and make them sell.

[stueya]

I'm sure you get people going on google and typing in 'rich Arab'  and then create some bullshit rumour with whichever name hasn't been linked with us on Wikipedia

[MSC]

how is this rumour/attempt at buyout different to the dozen or so that preceeded it?

No different to the all the others that surface every time on the owners come over IMO.

[kanonkop]

I suspect it is sorted in the summer.  I think RBS want out of this mess completely.  The demand for £100m investment by RBS toreduce debt is essentially a demand they know will not be satisfied.

No one with a sane mind will invest £100m into Liverpool only to be left with a minority stake beneath that of the two current clowns and for that investment to go only towards repaying debt.  That is not a wise move as does not really aid the future of the club (commercially and results).

What I think is the case though is that there are 2-5 investors who would have an interest in buying 100% of the club, running it professionally and investing in it properly to drive commercial success and success on the pitch.

That is what I think is RBS' gameplan; namely to force a sale this summer.I am optimistic about a positive outcome during the summer and hopefully early enough so that we can get the 2-3 top quality players in that we need so that next year isn't a wasted season also.

[scott]

SPIN

[Roma77]

Think it's gonna be very difficult now to get a decent investor in. As it's been said nobody in their right mind would invest 100m for a minority share and anyone who wants to buy will have to fork out another 100m on top to improve the squad and 350m for a new stadium.
If you add the fact that the way we are playing will not make it any more attractive for a prospective buyer then things aren't looking too good.
Getting 4th place is now more important than ever to make sure that certain players don't jump ship come the summer because if we don't then attracting players of the calibre we want will be impossible.