Rhone Group head list of 'six or seven' potential Liverpool investors

Liverpool have moved a step closer to resolving their financial future with "six or seven" potential investors vying to take a majority stake in the club.

The first to declare its hand is the Rhone Group, a US fund management firm, run by billionaires Robert Agostinelli and Steven Langman, which has expressed an interest in buying a stake of at least 34 per cent for around £100 million.

That would substantially dilute the holdings of owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and break the boardroom stalemate which has hamstrung the club for more than two years.
However, Liverpool remain hopeful of receiving a number of competing offers before the Easter deadline set by the club's managing director, Christian Purslow.

Six other interested parties are believed to be considering proposals entailing either partial investment or a wholesale buyout of Hicks and Gillett. Those offers would be put to the club's board by Purslow, with sources at Liverpool hopeful of securing new investment "in good time" for the start of next season.

Regardless of which offer is accepted, any cash infusion raised by a share issue would be used to pay down the £237 million debt laden on to the club by Hicks and Gillett, a condition laid down by the Royal Bank of Scotland if the two Americans are to refinance loans held by the Government-controlled bank in July.

But an end to the search for investment started last year by Purslow would free up the working capital to enable work to start on the club's long-awaited new stadium on Stanley Park this year, as well as, crucially, allowing Liverpool to strengthen their playing staff.

The club's manager, Rafael Benítez, has been forced to spend only what he raises in the transfer market for the past two years and the prospect of the funds being available to provide the "four or five" front-line signings Fernando Torres suggested on Saturday are key to his and Liverpool's future without fresh investment are distant.

The Spain international is known to harbour concerns over Liverpool's ability to compete for the major honours he so craves, and made the first public expression of his doubts when he called on the club to "make an effort" this summer to bring in the players needed to compete not for fourth place, but for the league title.

"His main motivation is winning trophies," said Benítez. "He wants to be playing in the Champions League, but it is not just him. We all want that."

But while the arrival of Rhone's offer may signal the beginning of the end for Hicks and Gillett, doubts remain as to whether any investor would be willing to inject so much cash without taking at least a 51 per cent stake, thereby guaranteeing overall control.

Write them off at your own peril...

There is no point in over-analysing Liverpool's win over their biggest rivals. Manchester United were beaten fair and square, enough said!

Even Sir Alex Ferguson, who is never gracious in defeat, and for the first time in a very long time admitted that his team were simply played off the park. He even went on to say that his team had defended like a Conference team. To be fair on them I think Liverpool just wanted the victory more, and this was evident in the second half. Credit must go to Rafa Benitez and his team for overcoming the psychological barrier and instilling belief in his players. And they even managed to do this without their two best players, Gerrard and Torres.

The Ronaldo factor

And talking about playing without your best players. The prodigious winger is quite evidently their most important player, and has been sorely missed so far. Their league record so far speaks for itself. One drawn, one won and one lost. Also lost the Super Cup and they struggled against Villarreal, but only until he was unleashed you could see the impact he has on the team. Fergie was so desperate he even flew to Portugal in haste to beg St. Judas of Old Trafford to stay for just one more season. With him agreeing to stay on it might just have been Fergie's best signing. With only Berbatov signing on the final day of the transfer window United now have attacking options in abundance and the question is - how does Sir Alex fit all these star players into his team? Only he knows...

Championship form?

Liverpool are looking good even though they're not playing well. Call it winning ugly? You decide. And by saying 'good' I really mean that they're getting the results without breaking into a sweat. It could be that Rafa has them conditioned to peak at just the right time of the season, and perhaps he has learnt from the past. It's early days so I won't be making any predictions just yet. Maybe in early January we can start making our calls but as they say the league is a marathon and not a sprint.

Come the business end of the season

Will Manchester United equal Liverpool's record haul of 18 league titles? Can Arsenal sustain their current goal-scoring form? Will Aston Villa breach the top four?And will United lose to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Sunday. If they do lose they'll have lots to catch up to. It's still early days and as they say you can only really start calling anyone champions come the business end of the season.

Finally, it will only take a very brave man to write United off just yet. Are you that man?