Report: Hicks Means It When He Says He'll Make Up Stars, Rangers Losses With Liverpool

By Robert Wilonsky Tue., Jun. 8 2010 at 12:06 PM

Categories: Biz, Sports

Dallas Cowboy by Kit Nelson

In its Tom Hicks puff piece a couple of Sundays ago, The Dallas Morning News noted that Hicks expects to lose, oh, maybe a "couple hundred million" on the sales of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars. But no worries: Hicks told the paper he'd make up those losses when he finally sells Liverpool FC. Which is worth noting because the U.K. Mirror has this exclusive concerning two potential buyers for the storied soccer team who've backed out because, sources say, Hicks refuses to budge off his asking price of close to £800 million.

Says the story, buyers out of the Middle East and "a consortium led by a prominent American businessman" have expressed real interest in taking the Reds off Hicks and George Gillett's hands. Problem is, Barclays Capital, charged with finding a buyer, can't get Hicks to come down -- while Gillett, on the other hand, is more than willing to bargain since he's tired of being hounded by Spirit of Shankly. An excerpt:

A source working on the sale of the Merseyside club for BarCap revealed privately: "We have found more than one really good fit investors, who have the wealth not to worry about a few hundred million quid. But they will not be held to ransom, because they know the asking price is unreasonable, and they simply don't want to be taken for a ride, no matter how rich they are."

There is a growing fear amongst those close to the deal that Hicks' business empire has been suffering in the global economic crisis, and that is motivating his hard-line stance over a price.

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