Maktoums close in on Reds

Liverpool chairman David Moores has paved the way for a £450m of the club by allowing Dubai International Capital to inspect the club's accounts.

The Reds' chief has actively been looking to sell his 51 per cent stake in the club for a number of years but has found it difficult to find a suitable interested party. Previously, local businessman Steve Morgan and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had failed to mount a successful bid for power.

Dubai International Capital, owned by the Maktoum family which is most famous in England for the highly successful Godolphin horse racing operation, appears to have fought off competition from the former owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, George Gillett Jr, and John Miskelly.

It is understood the club would be valued at £170million with the rest of the price being made up of the £200million cost of the new stadium in Stanley Park plus £80million to cover the Merseyside club's debt.

Even if the takeover was to be completed by the time the transfer window opens in January it is unclear how much money would be made available to Rafael Benitez for team strengthening. However, given the Maktoums' record for sporting excellence it is likely the Reds boss would be given funds to go into the market.

p/s: - Kalo takeover tu berjaya, lepas ni tunggu Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum batalkan sponsor dari Carlsberg pulak.