By Duncan Mackay
December 25 - A Saudi Arabian Prince is about to buy 50 per cent of five-time European Cup winners Liverpool after co-owner George Gillett (pictured) signalled his intention to sell, it has been claimed.
Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah revealed on Saudi television that he will be attending Liverpool’s early-evening clash against Wolverhampton Wanderer at Anfield tomorrow as a guest of Gillett, who has an uneasy relationship with co-owner Tom Hicks.
Prince Faisal, the second son of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, attended Liverpool’s win over Hull City in September with Gillett to rubber-stamp a deal to build club-accredited academies in the Middle East.
Reports in Saudi Arabia suggest that he is now planning to broker a deal with the American for the sale of his Anfield shares.
Earlier this month Gillett earned $550 million [Canadian] (£327 million) from the sale of the NHL team Montréal Canadiens, the Bell Centre and the Gillett Entertainment Group, a Canadian-based sports and entertainment promoter, to the Molson Brothers.
He is reportedly keen to find an escape route from Liverpool, where he has been the subject of protests from supporters angry at the club being saddled with £350 million worth of debt which many blame for the team’s poor form at the moment.
They are currently only eighth in the Premier League and failed to reach the knock-out stage of the Champions League, putting pressure on manager Rafa Benitez.
Prince Faisal’s sports investment group F6 is expected to be prepared to buy Gillett’s Liverpool shares, which are estimated to be worth up to £200 million.
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