Dipper Takeover? [Merged]

[mike channon´s windmill]

Surely if a bidder buys the debt and H&G default it´s still technically administration for the club and goodbye 9 points?

I don't believe he's buying the debt. Here's what the BBC says:

Kenny Huang, head of Hong Kong-based investment company QSL Sports Ltd, wants to take full control of the Reds, who have been up for sale since April. "A deal has to be done before the transfer window closes [on 31 August]," a source close to Huang told BBC Sport. "Huang has made a firm proposal. The club's board has to sanction the sale and it could be sewn up in days."

Huang has been talking for several weeks to representatives of the Royal Bank of Scotland, with the aim of taking full control of the Premier League club. RBS is Liverpool's main creditor, owed about £237m by American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. While RBS has told the BBC it is not negotiating directly with Huang, it is understood he is mounting a credible bid.

"Kenny is the only serious bidder interested in the club and he's optimistic," added the source. Huang is offering to clear Liverpool's debt to RBS, and give new manager Roy Hodgson funds to do business in the transfer window. However, he wants the deal to be completed within two weeks to allow Hodgson time to strengthen the squad before the transfer deadline at the end of August. Any later and the deal is off.

Mmmm... that would have the dippers jumping for joy
Where´s he getting the dosh coz another 400m is needed for stadium and transfers - more leveraged debt?

 

[moomba]

Liverpool IMO need players to get close to the top 4, let alone winning the league.

Shouldn't underestimate the loss of Alonso, also the season they finished second they were extremely lucky withe a load of last minute winners, and from memory they played about 7 or 8 games against sides with 10 men (mainly players getting sent off for fouling Alonso).

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The Guardian has a slightly different take however;

The Chinese businessman Kenny Huang has pledged to invest heavily in Liverpool should his ownership bid succeed.

The head of the Hong Kong-based investment company QSL Sports Ltd has been in talks with Royal Bank of Scotland over buying out the Reds' £237m debt. That would give him "a ridiculously large amount of leverage", a source told the Press Association, in order to be able to force out the club's unpopular owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Link

 

[S04]

Interesting this..Huang is a dealmaker heavily involved in sports and finance but not a billionaire himself by any means.

He got good connections in both China and USA though, so he would most likely be able to get the necessary financial backing BUT that is money that he need to pay back. Liverpool might get another Glazer style owner if Huang takes over.
That said he might just be a front for much more powerful figures in China willing to make a bet on the club.

 

[persvenality cult]

why does it have to get done in time for the transfer window?

ans: Torres.

that casts doubt over the seriousness of the bid in my mind. it opens up the possibility that either :

a: Other clubs are currently negotiating for Torres, the club is simply trying to get the best price for him. this deal is being talked up to strengthen Liverpool's position, to pretend they have no financial need to sell, and to pretend Torres has no reason to leave

b: They genuinely want to persuade Torres himself to stay (until it's too late to do a deal) as they believe he adds massively to the saleability of the club.

c is, this guy wants to buy the debt but only if Torres stays. he knows that the club has an uphill battle to keep him.

d, that it's genuine and serious.

 

[fbloke]

Lets all remember that headline numbers are not all that a great indicator of intentions either.

When Carson Yeung took over at Brum they were cock-a-hoop with his promise to invest £40m in the team.

All sorts of names were thrown about but it soon transpired that he meant he would invest £40m in the team including wages etc.

As I have said before if you have a player on an average level of income in the Prem, say £60k per week on a 5 year contract that is over £20m as well.

So if this fella claims to have £100m to spend on the squad (he hasnt said that yet of course) that is only 1 top class player on a 4 or 5 year contract.

Now with that in mind have a think about what our owner(s) have spent and are liable for and it should be crystal clear that it is very unlikely to be repeated.

 

[persvenality cult]

bit of a coincidence that Torres had his first meeting with Roy Hodgson today.

 

[@BluePhil8]

Why do Liverpool fan's hate Hicks and Gillett?
They blame all of these broken promises for them being bad in the league... what promises? Off the top of my head they have spent £20million on Torres, £18million on Johnson and £18million on Aqualani.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Another interesting quote from the Guardian, who ran a feature profiling Huang:

"It seems like he is trying to piece together a one-man-created sports empire: baseball, basketball, football; the US, England and China," said Maggie Rauch, editor of the China Sports Today blog. "The industry perception is that they are keeping an eye on this guy and seeing what he is up to. So far he has maybe done more talking than doing as far as building anything here in sports goes."

Let's hope he carries on doing more talking than doing. This could be the last throw of the dice for the dippers.

 

[Skashion]

Just out of interest isn't China where the highest stakes are placed on the outcomes of Premier League games?