forde

BLACKBURN Rovers will sell Lucas Neill to West Ham today - providing they can set up a deal to sign Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock. Telegraph Sport understands that Rovers are in talks with Liverpool about a £1.5 million deal for Warnock. And providing they can come to an arrangement with the Reds then that could trigger a transfer merry-go-round that would see Neill join the Hammers for a similar fee. Advertisement continued... Fellow defender Dominic Matteo is also heading out of the Ewood exit door after Championship club Stoke City last night struck a deal to sign him on a free transfer. However, it's Neill future that is set to dominate the headlines as Rovers seek to draw a line under a transfer saga that has been rumbling on for the best part of a year. After rejecting a lucrative offer from Liverpool earlier this week, Neill is now pushing for a move to West Ham after his agent confirmed they had shaken hands on a two and a half year contract with Alan Curbishley. But Rovers manager Mark Hughes will only sanction the Aussie's transfer to Upton Park if he can broker a deal with Liverpool that would see Warnock arrive at Ewood as a ready-made replacement. Rovers are thought to be close to agreeing a deal for Warnock, and the player could even get the green light to undergo a medical at some point today. Sunderland manager Roy Keane is also interested in signing Warnock, but the Liverpool defender is thought to favour a move to Ewood over the Stadium of Light because he wants to stay in the Premiership. As for West Ham, they have yet to have an offer for Neill accepted. Hughes initially wanted Paul Konchesky in a straight swap for the former Millwall man, but Curbishley's valuation of the England international proved prohibitive. Now a straight cash deal seems likely, but only if Rovers can negotiate a fair price for Warnock. Referring to West Ham's interest in Neill, a defiant Hughes said: "It needs to be an acceptable deal. "At the moment, I've not had a deal that's acceptable to me or the club and until I get one, Lucas will remain with us. "We've had offers of money and whatever, but they're not acceptable to me at the moment." Hughes has still not entirely ruled out the possibility of Liverpool resurrecting their interest in Neill, although a move to Anfield seems increasingly unlikely given the fact he reportedly turned down an offer of £25,000-a-week during talks with Rafa Benitez. "The Liverpool situation is still there at the moment, but for how long we don't know." If, for some reason, Neill's future is not resolved before tomorrow, Hughes has not ruled out the possibility of the 28-year-old playing against Manchester City. "He's been surrounded by this (speculation) for six months, but I still picked him last weekend and he did okay, so I'll keep on picking him," added the Rovers boss http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?act=pos...=1&t=121551

Stephen Warnock is waiting for Lucas Neill?s situation to be resolved before completing a £1.5m move to Blackburn. The switch will go ahead when Blackburn receive a similar fee from West Ham, or if Neill makes a dramatic u-turn and moves to Anfield instead ? which is increasingly unlikely. http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liv...-name_page.html

5live reporting that Mark Hughes has just said there's been no contact between West Ham and Blackburn over Neill.

Mohammed Bin Rashid To the Maktoum, the multimillionaire sheik of Dubai that is on the verge of buying the Liverpool by 684 million euros by means of a called company Dubai Investment Corporation, wants to disembark in the picture of Anfield with the draftee of Ronaldo under the arm. Rick Parry, chief of a main directorate of the Liverpool, has recognized that to take shape the supply of the sheik to control to the Liverpool, the equipment of Mersey side could financially compete at he himself level that the Arsenal or the Chelsea. The first test that the Liverpool could begin to file the players whom it loved, would be in the hiring of Ronaldo, a player absolutely faced the director of Ramon Calderón and with the project of Capello, who could saturate in Anfield still knowing full well that could not play the Champions, because she has already disputed to this season this competition dressing the colors Real Madrid. The supply of purchase of the Liverpool on the part of the DIC is in its final phase. The financial technicians of the Arab corporation are studying `due diligence' of the accounts of the club. If everything leaves as it is predicted, the purchase of the club on the part of the sheik To the Maktoum will be a fact.

He also thinks Finnan has been poor this season and that he is not good enough for us

Nastic president: Liverpool pair rejected loan offer tribalfooball.com - January 08, 2007 Nastic president Josep Maria Andreu has revealed they've been turned down by Liverpool pair Salif Diao and Gaby Paletta. "The agreement with Liverpool was total for Diao and Paletta," said Andreu, "but the players are reluctant to come to Tarragona." http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=24477

Heard last week that he is only arriving in Liverpool this coming week!

Dudek Finnan Agger Carragher Riise Pennant Alonso Gerrard Garcia Crouch Kuyt Subs: Reina Hyypia Gonzo Aurelio and Bellamy

Did not no Darke was doing the game he is so crap, downloading the game now but will def have to watch on mute

Anfield deal hit by leaked plans By DANIEL KING The takeover of Liverpool Football Club by Sheik Mohammed?s company, Dubai International Capital, has been engulfed by a row over secret documents revealing controversial plans to sell off the club at a profit within seven years of any buy-up. City sources who have seen the proposals warn that the club would have to be run more along the stringent lines of the Glazer family?s Manchester United than the apparently more carefree Roman Abramovich regime at Chelsea. Last night, DIC gave The Mail on Sunday an insight into their strategy in a bid to reassure Liverpool fans and officials. But the immediate concern for the Anfield board and the Dubai company is how a 30 per cent stake in the club came to be touted around the City by a company which is currently under investigation by the Inland Revenue. The Mail on Sunday has evidence that Vantis, a financial advisory company, aquired an internal DIC memo and claimed that they were in contact with the group trying to buy Liverpool and that there was an opportunity for other investors to buy up to 30 per cent of the club for £50m. DIC deny any connection with Vantis. A DIC source said: "Vantis is not working on this transaction and it has no mandate from DIC. DIC does not have a relationship with Vantis in regard to this or any other matter." Earlier this year, Vantis were involved in the regime change at Southampton, with executive Ken Anderson acting as spokesman for the successful Michael Wilde takeover. But Anderson, a licensed football agent, was sidelined from that deal when it was revealed that in October 2005 he was banned from being a company director until 2013 for a number of offences. The Mail on Sunday has seen evidence that Anderson was involved in Vantis?s activities in relation to Liverpool. Three senior executives at Vantis are also under investigation by the Inland Revenue over allegations of tax evasion in relation to investment schemes set up for high-profile clients, including England rugby captain Martin Corry. It remains unclear how Vantis came to be in possession of the seven-page DIC document, which, among other things, reveals that the deal to buy Liverpool and build a new stadium would be worth £520m, £365m of which would be debt. According to the leaked document, due diligence should now be complete and the project is on target for a formal offer in January or February. But the leaking of the document and the suggestion that 30 per cent of the club would be available to other investors could undermine the Liverpool board?s confidence in the deal. Liverpool have always known that other institutions from Dubai or the Middle East could be part of a consortium with DIC, but never that investors from elsewhere could be involved and certainly not while DIC are examining the club?s books. According to emails seen by The Mail on Sunday, Neil Foster, a Vantis executive, told one interested party that Vantis were ?in contact with the team from Dubai who are currently in discussions to acquire LFC?. The email goes on to say: "The opportunity exists to acquire up to 30 per cent, with a 15 per cent stake being priced at £25m." These figures match almost exactly the price DIC have provisionally agreed of £156.7m for all the Liverpool stock, or £4,500 per share. A later email makes it clear that Vantis had not been engaged by Liverpool or DIC. Nevertheless, they believed that 30 per cent of Liverpool was up for grabs. Vantis?s motivation was to share with the recipient of the email an introduction fee of three to five per cent, which they would hope to recover from DIC. Fosterrefused to comment and Anderson was unavailable for comment. Well-placed sources in the City who have seen the secret document have been as surprised by its contents as by the fact that it has been leaked. The document effectively states that DIC believe they can reverse the fortunes of cash-strapped Liverpool in seven to eight years, at which point they could consider selling the club. Experts believe that to meet their target of increasing the club?s value from £160m to £925m, DIC would have to be as aggressive as the Glazers, especially since they, too, would take on huge debts to fund the deal. As well as borrowing £65m to refinance Liverpool?s existing debt, DIC would seek a loan of £300m to fund the new 61,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park. It would cost about £20m to cover that borrowing every year, roughly equal to the profit Liverpool made in the 2005 season when they won the Champions League. Leading financiers believe DIC?s plans would fall apart if Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League for two years in a row. But last night DIC denied that their deal relied on Champions League football every year. A DIC source said: "Any debt repayments, or indeed transfer fund requirements, will be manageable regardless of Champions League qualification. DIC will be using leading banks in the field of sports stadium financing and running the project along the lines of other recent successful developments, such as Arsenal?s Emirates Stadium. What the debt level will be is still to be decided, but it will be sustainable and at a level the club can afford." http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Liverpool

Rumours suggest that Liverpool have accepted a bid around the £1.6million mark from Sunderland for defender, Stephen Warnock. Warnock, 25, is a left sided defender and would ease the defensive crisis Sunderland currently find themselves in. Keep checking Sunderland-MAD for the latest on this story. http://www.sunderland-mad.co.uk/news/loadn...W&id=316304

According to today's Liverpool Echo, the Reds new stadium will be open in two-and-a-half years. The paper claims to have seen "a secret document" revealing Dubai International Capital (DIC) hope to have completed the takeover of the club by February. As soon as the takeover is complete, the new stadium would start to be built, with "less than 28 months set aside for construction." The report, under the headline "Red's new stadium open by July '09", says the DIC document refers to the club having already spent £10m on the stadium project and also having budgeted to spend a further £10m by March. One important point mentioned in the story is that naming rights on the stadium are being considered, with a figure of £4m per year being reported. The document is said to include estimates that "at the current bid of £156.7m for 90% of the club's shares, DIC could increase profits, excluding tax and interest, by 25% a year". The document is said to name Laing O'Rourke as becoming the "likely contractor" for the building work, and that although the deadline of July 2009 is tight, it must be met in order for DIC's investment calculations to work out. To further protect their investment the building contract would be on a fixed price basis, with the contractors facing penalties of £950,000 per week if they overrun the deadline. LFC are "poised" to place orders for materials such as steel and roof cables to meet the "tight schedule". There is a 15-20% contingency built into the estimates for the costs of building the replacement ground. Part of the costs of building the new ground, £28.5m, would come from grants. The document reportedly talks of stadium plans being agreed by the end of January, and that trial events should start to take place in July 2009. Trial events are an issue that will be familiar to anyone who followed the long drawn out (and still ongoing) Wembley stadium rebuild, because big events can't be staged until "trial events" have been successfully staged. The overall takeover costs are broken down as £156.7m for 90% of the shares, £10m in fees for lawyers and £45m to "refinance existing debts". The Echo says the costs will total £221.7m but doesn't mention where the other £10m is being spent. DIC are planning to raise "£300m through bonds to fund the construction of the new ground which will account for the repayment of £120m of existing debts to fund the stadium, a further £105.8m to complete construction and £5m of professional fees." According to the report, DIC have approached Bank of Ireland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of America to help fund the project, with Bank of America appearing "to be favourites". The report also quotes the following lines about the club from the secret document: "Recent performance has been strong and the club appears to be on its way to achieving consistent results both on and off the pitch. Opportunities exist to boost returns by unlocking 'hidden' value, mainly through developing property and leisure projects on the current Anfield site." The word "brand" is unfortunately used when talking of how the deal will reflect well on the Middle East's link to a "strong brand with an equally strong international fan base". There's also a mention of existing deals worth £8m with Adidas for the club's shirt deal, and the £21.6m deal with Carlsberg as shirt sponsor. It also talks of the £2.5m Liverpool have set aside for possible legal costs relating to the dispute with Reebok, the previous shirt sponsors who failed to deliver stock on time (Liverpool were said to be having to buy kit from JJB boss Dave Whelan at one stage for sale in the club shop). LFC feel that Reebok don't have a case. Another revelation from the secret document is that in 2004 Liverpool were subject of three failed takeover attempts, all offering different valuations. The document also claims that George Gillet has been told that DIC are the preferred bidder. It says that David Moores has made the decision to sell because the club needs a capital injection to advance to "the next level and he is unable to provide this himself". Interesting also is the mention that the document "sets a seven to eight-year period to re-evaluate its investment in the club and includes several option to realise a profit, such as selling the stadium" - which could be where the author of two Manchester United books who wrote a doom and gloom article earlier in the week (Mihir Bose) drew his ridiculous conclusions from. As the Echo says, "such a timetable is normal in takeover deals of this kind. A business plan will include a fixed period to assess the success of the investment, and the Echo understands that DIC intends to retain its holding in Liverpool for the long term". It seems this whole article is DIC's indirect response to Mihir Bose's article from earlier in the week, and it pours scorn on his claim that DIC won't be providing cash to Rafa Benitez for new signings. It says, "fears that DIC will not provide transfer funds for the manager appear unfounded as the business plan includes a pledge to 'infuse funding for the club to achieve its business plan objectives and drive a virtuous circle of success'". Another point to take from this story is that when you read the transfer rumours for this transfer window you don't need to pay attention to any that talk of deals depending on the takeover going through. This document shows the takeover won't be completed until after the window has closed. According to today's Liverpool Echo, the Reds new stadium will be open in two-and-a-half years. The paper claims to have seen "a secret document" revealing Dubai International Capital (DIC) hope to have completed the takeover of the club by February. As soon as the takeover is complete, the new stadium would start to be built, with "less than 28 months set aside for construction." The report, under the headline "Red's new stadium open by July '09", says the DIC document refers to the club having already spent £10m on the stadium project and also having budgeted to spend a further £10m by March. One important point mentioned in the story is that naming rights on the stadium are being considered, with a figure of £4m per year being reported. The document is said to include estimates that "at the current bid of £156.7m for 90% of the club's shares, DIC could increase profits, excluding tax and interest, by 25% a year". The document is said to name Laing O'Rourke as becoming the "likely contractor" for the building work, and that although the deadline of July 2009 is tight, it must be met in order for DIC's investment calculations to work out. To further protect their investment the building contract would be on a fixed price basis, with the contractors facing penalties of £950,000 per week if they overrun the deadline. LFC are "poised" to place orders for materials such as steel and roof cables to meet the "tight schedule". There is a 15-20% contingency built into the estimates for the costs of building the replacement ground. Part of the costs of building the new ground, £28.5m, would come from grants. The document reportedly talks of stadium plans being agreed by the end of January, and that trial events should start to take place in July 2009. Trial events are an issue that will be familiar to anyone who followed the long drawn out (and still ongoing) Wembley stadium rebuild, because big events can't be staged until "trial events" have been successfully staged. The overall takeover costs are broken down as £156.7m for 90% of the shares, £10m in fees for lawyers and £45m to "refinance existing debts". The Echo says the costs will total £221.7m but doesn't mention where the other £10m is being spent. DIC are planning to raise "£300m through bonds to fund the construction of the new ground which will account for the repayment of £120m of existing debts to fund the stadium, a further £105.8m to complete construction and £5m of professional fees." According to the report, DIC have approached Bank of Ireland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of America to help fund the project, with Bank of America appearing "to be favourites". The report also quotes the following lines about the club from the secret document: "Recent performance has been strong and the club appears to be on its way to achieving consistent results both on and off the pitch. Opportunities exist to boost returns by unlocking 'hidden' value, mainly through developing property and leisure projects on the current Anfield site." The word "brand" is unfortunately used when talking of how the deal will reflect well on the Middle East's link to a "strong brand with an equally strong international fan base". There's also a mention of existing deals worth £8m with Adidas for the club's shirt deal, and the £21.6m deal with Carlsberg as shirt sponsor. It also talks of the £2.5m Liverpool have set aside for possible legal costs relating to the dispute with Reebok, the previous shirt sponsors who failed to deliver stock on time (Liverpool were said to be having to buy kit from JJB boss Dave Whelan at one stage for sale in the club shop). LFC feel that Reebok don't have a case. Another revelation from the secret document is that in 2004 Liverpool were subject of three failed takeover attempts, all offering different valuations. The document also claims that George Gillet has been told that DIC are the preferred bidder. It says that David Moores has made the decision to sell because the club needs a capital injection to advance to "the next level and he is unable to provide this himself". Interesting also is the mention that the document "sets a seven to eight-year period to re-evaluate its investment in the club and includes several option to realise a profit, such as selling the stadium" - which could be where the author of two Manchester United books who wrote a doom and gloom article earlier in the week (Mihir Bose) drew his ridiculous conclusions from. As the Echo says, "such a timetable is normal in takeover deals of this kind. A business plan will include a fixed period to assess the success of the investment, and the Echo understands that DIC intends to retain its holding in Liverpool for the long term". It seems this whole article is DIC's indirect response to Mihir Bose's article from earlier in the week, and it pours scorn on his claim that DIC won't be providing cash to Rafa Benitez for new signings. It says, "fears that DIC will not provide transfer funds for the manager appear unfounded as the business plan includes a pledge to 'infuse funding for the club to achieve its business plan objectives and drive a virtuous circle of success'". Another point to take from this story is that when you read the transfer rumours for this transfer window you don't need to pay attention to any that talk of deals depending on the takeover going through. This document shows the takeover won't be completed until after the window has closed. http://www.anfieldroad.com/news/latest/200...a39222243b.html

Dubai investors deny exit strategy Last updated:Wednesday 27-Dec-2006 20:13:01 Dubai International Capital, the investment company behind the proposed takeover of Liverpool, insist they have a long-term strategy in place for the club including significant funds for new players. The company have responded to reports in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph that they plan to sell the club in 2014 having first made a huge profit from what the newspaper described as "purely a business deal". A DIC source sought to assure Liverpool fans that were the takeover to be concluded there would be "the best possible" financial support for boss Rafael Benitez. They said: "What DIC is doing is planning to make sure that, if a deal is done, Liverpool has the best possible funding in place going forward under DIC stewardship." http://uksport.newsquest.co.uk/index.phtml?id=415920

Was he a red or a blue at school?

Full time at the new library 2-2

a*** 2 Pomp 2 now

And gets one back for the a***

Pomp 2 up now.

Morgan's on 5Live tomorrow morning discussing the takeover from 9am to 10am UK time!

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has scotched speculation linking Pepe Reina with a move away from Anfield. The Spaniard insists his first-choice goalkeeper is not for sale. "I was surprised at hearing this speculation," said Benitez. "Why are people again talking about this situation when we know it's not true? It's clear we're not talking with Valencia ? we are talking with Pepe about his future here." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...061215-1541.htm

We had Inter in the practice draw!

REDS WON'T BE 'RICH MAN'S PLAYTHING' - PARRY Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry insists the club will not become a "rich man's plaything" if the prospective takeover by Dubai International Capital (DIC) goes through. The firm, an investment company for Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed, is still working through the club's accounts but is expected to make a formal offer for Liverpool worth around £450million. The Sheikh is reckoned to be the fifth richest person in the world with a fortune that dwarfs even the wealth of Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, but Parry insists the takeover will not see Liverpool indulging in profligate spending. He insists the takeover, which would include funding for a new stadium, can secure Liverpool's position among the elite for the next century. Parry told the Liverpool FC magazine published today: "We are focused on success but we want a club that will not be ludicrously profligate. It is not just about throwing money at a challenge, that is not a sound long-term strategy. "It is definitely not about being a rich man's plaything. It is about taking Liverpool FC to the next level and securing the future of the club for the next hundred years." Parry said the aim would be for Liverpool to use the investment to run the club as a successful company and take advantage of their international fanbase. He said DIC would benefit from being associated with a global brand. "It is ensuring that we maximise our revenue-generating potential and running the club as successfully as we possibly can," said Parry, who is expected to keep his position with DIC chief executive Sameer al-Ansari possibly becoming chairman. "At the same time it is choosing the right partner, it is paramount to ensure that such a partner understands the values and heritage of the club and respects them. "The most important aspect of our heritage is success and winning trophies. That is the thing that matters most to everyone who follows Liverpool and that will always remain the focus. "We have absolute confidence that DIC would be very good partners for a club of our size and stature. "We are a global brand and it is crucial that any deal is a corporate investment with the club run as a top-class business. "What a new partner would benefit from is a great heritage that has generated a worldwide fanbase." Parry insisted that suggestions the takeover was already "a done deal" were exaggerated, but admitted he was excited at the possibilities. He added: "We always look forward with a focus on the challenges ahead, not least the new stadium and the need to get on with that rapidly. "In that sense it is a proposal not without risk, but we are all very excited about the long-term future of the club and hope we have found an ideal partner. "Things are not over yet, despite suggestions to the contrary saying it is a done deal. "Detailed negotiations continue, and we are clearly very excited to have reached this stage because discussions have been going on for a long time." Parry confirmed that should the takeover go through current chairman David Moores would be give some kind of boardroom role. He said: "David Moores will have a role to play moving forward. Of course he wants that. "After all, he is a lifelong fan not just the owner. He always sees himself as a trustee rather than majority shareholder." A DIC source told PA Sport: "We are very much in agreement with Rick Parry's remarks. If we do a deal we would aim to have a long-term relationship with Liverpool. We will get the stadium built and help the club move on to the next level." http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/...p;TEAMHD=soccer

Sign Jan Molby

Signed