Liverpool duo complete £350m deal

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Gillett (left) and Hicks took over the club in March 2007

Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have completed the £350m refinancing deal to secure their Anfield future, BBC Sport understands.

The financial package is expected to help the duo repay money borrowed for their £218.9m takeover in March 2007. It also means that the club can finally launch their long-awaited plan for a new stadium at Stanley Park.

BBC sports editor Mihir Bose said £60m of the package will provide the start-up money for the new ground. The deal, which is expected to be announced on Friday, underlines the pair's determination to remain at Anfield despite interest from Dubai International Capital (DIC), the investment arm of the Dubai government.

Hicks will also feel he will be in a stronger position should he decide to sell in the future, dealing a blow to DIC's hopes of mounting a swift bid to take control of the club. The American pair were the target of crowd demonstrations from Liverpool supporters unhappy with their regime during Monday's televised game against Aston Villa, with banners calling for DIC to mount a bid.

Some fans were angry after the duo admitted they had sounded out Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible replacement for manager Rafael Benitez, with whom they had a high-profile falling-out. A survey carried out by the Liverpool Supporters' network showed that 76% of 2,000 fans questioned said they would "seriously consider reducing their financial commitment to the club" if the current owners stayed in charge.

When asked to choose between the owners and the manager as to who had the best interest of the club at heart, 99% backed Benitez. "The results of this survey are indicative of the strength of feeling among Liverpool fans that the club is very much in the wrong hands at present," said LSN spokesman Neil Atkinson.

"Tom Hicks and George Gillet are not trusted."

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so is this what all the anfield faithful wants to hear…?

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REDS OWNERS TO GO PUBLIC SOON

Liverpool's American owners' have again delayed an announcement of a successful refinancing deal but an agreement should be made public tomorrow or Monday.

Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are on the verge of sealing a £350million package and had been expected to announce on Thursday that it had gone through.

There are no serious hitches however and it is understood the deal is all but signed off, and the announcement will include details of the chosen design for a new stadium at Stanley Park.

Of the £350million, more than £160million will be debt tied to Liverpool and around £190million covered by Hicks and Gillett's guarantees.

The £160million figure includes £105million new cash for the club - £65million to kick-start work on the new stadium, and a further sum of £45million of working capital including money for player acquisitions. The remainder is the existing debt the Americans inherited when they took over the club a year ago.

Hicks and Gillett are insisting however that the other £190million in the refinancing package - to cover their initial cost of buying the club - will not be loaded onto Liverpool.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry and former chairman David Moores, who is still a board member, have made it clear they oppose any of the takeover debt being loaded onto the club.

Now that doubts over the refinancing deal have evaporated, the Americans - particularly Hicks - face a struggle to win back the fans, not to mention manager Rafael Benitez.