George Gillett Jr is firing another salvo in his dispute with Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks over control of the club, inviting officials from a Dubai consortium seeking to buy the club to yesterday’s Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Hicks has threatened to block Gillett from selling his 50 percent stake in Liverpool to Dubai International Capital (DIC), but the owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team is still hopeful of reaching a deal.
DIC has begun preparations for the transition of power, holding talks on Monday night with the most organized fans’ group, a person present told reporters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
DIC’s chief negotiator Amanda Staveley was said to have engaged in a “meeting of minds” with senior officers from Spirit of Shankly, which is named after former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly.
Gillett has invited the oil-rich group’s chief executive Samir Al-Ansari and Staveley to the first leg semi-final at Anfield yesterday, and they were to sit in the directors’ box, a person close to the negotiations said.
He was speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
Gillett, himself, is not expected to make the trip from the United States due to illness, but his son Foster — a Liverpool director — is expected to be at the stadium.
Hicks is planning to make his first trip to Anfield since December.
With all three parties at the match, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is hopeful it won’t distract from the match.
“I don’t think the supporters will be thinking too much about the directors’ box,” Benitez said on Monday.
“They will be thinking about the game,” he said.
Gillett has vowed never to sell his stake to Hicks, who is determined to gain full control of the club.
Gillett has accused the Hicks of “creating turmoil” at Anfield ahead of the vital European matches by calling on Reds CEO Rick Parry to resign.
Gillett and Hicks bought Liverpool for £218.9 million (then US$431 million), but they are no longer on speaking terms after their disagreements over the direction of the club.
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