Liverpool hold takeover talks with GMR

Fridays Mail claims Liverpool football club have had takeover talks with “Indian company GMR who hold the franchise for the Delhi Daredevils cricket team in the Indian Premier League.” The story which has not appeared in any other newspaper, possibly because there is no story, with the Mail simply digging up old news, or maybe it simply slipped under the radar. However one would presume any Liverpool money story is big news at the moment. The article goes on to claim GMR may encounter some hard bargaining from Hicks and Gillett who have reiterated their determination to meet the July 24 deadline for refinancing and also to push through revised plans for a 73,000 capacity stadium.

Representatives of the GMR group were guests at Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal in April and some take over speculation was reported at the time. GMR chairman Grandhi Mallikarjun Rao is worth an estimated 4.2 billion pounds and the senior official he sent to the Liverpool - Arsenal match is believed to be a supporter of the club. Rao (58) made his millions in the airport and construction industry and recently formed a subsidiary company to invest in sport, with English football considered the most attractive. An article published in April by zimbio.com holds quotes from a ‘Liverpool source’, who claims: “The GMR group were invited by Hicks and their representative watched the Arsenal match in the directors’ box with Hicks’ son Tommy. It was quite clear the representative was a fan. When you look at the company’s commitment to sport they’re exactly the type of partner Tom would be looking for.”