Re: Liverpool Takeover Imminent?
The son of Stefan Persson (H&M), was spotted with Hicks recently.
Stefan is stinking rich, and also a pal of Svennis. The two seem to go hand in hand ;)
Phil Thompson allegedly was mouthing off about a deal being announced before the derby. We'll see Thommo.
Under PL rules, any change in ownership has to be announced two weeks before it happens. The Scousers are talking about this week as decision time for RBS.
I'm not sure how simple this is going to be. Hicks and Gilette aren't the types to give up easily. They will fight tooth and nail to get out with as little debt as possible. There is a lot of inter-company and director debt involved, over 150m. It's not clear if RBS have the clout to get H&G out AND get them to write that off.
For that reason, my money is still on at least one more round of refinancing. But only just.
Persson seems far and away the most credible buyer linked so far. He is valued at 22b, and is a sportsman and football fan who lives in the UK. In fact he was rumoured to have brought an entire village in Hampshire last year. He also runs a charity that helps at young people... so it kind of matches his interests.
I'd buy this story outright, but at the end of the day, Phil Thompson giving it large on the radio isn't exactly a reliable indicator of anything.
