Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has revealed the
takeover of the club by investors from Dubai is almost complete and
that a concrete announcement will be made "relatively
soon".
Dubai International Capital, the investment arm of the Dubai
government, tabled a reported £450million bid in December and are
currently completing legal formalities and the process of due
diligence. Parry told Sportsweek on BBC Radio Five Live: "A huge
amount of work has been going on from both parts. I imagine we'll
have something concrete to say relatively soon on that.
"They are finalising all the legal work. They have been examining
the books and satisfying themselves that everything is fine on that
score. "There is lot of legal work to do and investigations going
on into the funding of the new stadium, which is a very important
project for us. "It is a case of finalising the due diligence and
pulling everything together, which we hope will be completed
relatively quickly. "It is looking positive and yes, I am confident
(it will go through)."
Parry confirmed the takeover would bring in the additional funds
that manager Rafael Benitez wants to strengthen his squad for a
tilt at the Barclays Premiership title. But he insisted DIC are
interested in building a platform for long-term success and not
just bank-rolling a quick fix.
The construction of a new stadium is central to the takeover bid
and Parry said: "They will certainly help take us to the next
level. "Their whole business model, with the new stadium at the
centre, is based on success and that you have to invest to stay at
the top. "It's not going to be a rich man's play thing. It is not a
quick fix. It is not about rushing out to buy players for success
this season or next season. It is about securing a model for
long-term success. "It helps that most of the key people we have
been dealing with are genuine Liverpool supporters so they
understand what we are about."
Parry defended Benitez's rotation policy, which came under scrutiny
again this week after Liverpool were thumped 6-3 by Arsenal in the
Carling Cup quarter-final. He added that, while the takeover talk
bubbles on, Liverpool are hard at work trying to strengthen their
squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the
month.
"We are working on a few things at the moment and the news will be
revealed as and when we are ready. We are working hard on it," he
said. "We have a lot of games still to play and we have had a
couple of injuries, so it is unlikely anyone will be going
out."