Money man: Ambani
The world's seventh-richest man has denied he is planning a
takeover at Liverpool as the pressure increases on Tom Hicks and
George Gillett Jr to sell the club.
According to The Times, Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India
and owner of Reliance Industries, is one of two businessmen
competing for a stake in the Reds.
Subrata Roy, chairman of the Sahara Group, was also reported to
have tendered a bid to pay off Liverpool's £237million debt in
return for a 51 per cent stake in the club.
Anfield chief executive Christian Purslow denied any knowledge
of the bids and Reliance spokeswoman Sudeep
Purkayastha said: 'There is no truth to the
report. We deny it completely.'
Meanwhile, Sahara spokesman
Abhijit Sarkar said: 'We are presently not in
a position to comment.'
Roy's company was linked with shirt sponsorship
of Manchester United a year ago. Sahara's sponsorship of the India
cricket team expires this year and the 62-year-old could be looking
for a new project.
Ambani is 10 years younger than Roy and believed
to be worth around £12.5billion from his investment in
Reliance, a petrochemicals giant.
He is already involved in sport after paying £70m for Indian
Premier League franchise the Mumbai Indians in 2008.
A source close to Americans Hicks and Gillett said that the duo
would reject any bid that left them with less than 50 per cent of
Livberpool's shares unless it involved either of them selling out
entirely.
A sale of more than half of the total stake would mean they
would lose control of the club.
t is understood that Liverpool's banker, the state-backed Royal
Bank of Scotland, is pressing Hicks and Gillett to cut their asking
price.
On the up: Dirk Kuyt (centre) heads home
Liverpool's winner against Everton at the weekend to make it seven
unbeaten in the Premier League