Premier League - Paper Round: Gillett to sell up

Eurosport - Thu, 08 Oct 09:12:00 2009

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett is ready to bail out and offload his 50 per cent stake in the club to a Saudi prince.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Liverpool owners George Gillett (r) and Tom Hicks (l) - 0

A lack of transfer funds has not made the American the most popular man on Merseyside and the Daily Mirror reports that he is set to travel to the Middle East in a bid to sell off his share.

Gillett will spend three days in Saudi Arabia next week, when he will meet Prince Faisal bin Fahd to discuss the sale.

It will then be left to the Prince, whose company has connections in the banking world, as to whether he tries to gain outright control of the club by buying out Tom Hicks or work with him.

Another buy-out story in today's papers concerns West Ham and the possible return of Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson to Upton Park.

The Sun reports that Magnusson is keen on buying back into the club, despite being blamed for the Hammers' financial problems which resulted in his exit at the end of last year.

But while Eggy is keen on stepping in to 'rescue' the club, he will not pay anywhere near the current £100 million asking price.

Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards, who is now a life honorary president, has become the first at boardroom level to question the Glazer family's hold over the club.

The Guardian reports that Edwards sympathises with fans who believe the £700m debt the Americans have accrued is dangerous and may put the club at risk should the family decide to sell.

Meanwhile, The Sun claims that United have been angered by the way several Premier League referees have called for stiff sanctions to be imposed on Alex Ferguson in the aftermath of Alan Wiley-gate.

The club are concerned by the way in which the case is being portrayed in the media and a source said: "There is serious concern at how the refereeing fraternity is meddling with the disciplinary process."

Former United striker Louis Saha has revealed that he nearly quit football after his lengthy list of injuries left him depressed.

The Sun have done their homework and reveal that he suffered 23 separate injuries during his four years at Old Trafford, which did nothing for his reputation as a massive crock.

He said: "I can laugh now but I was a depressive."

Speaking of which, over to Sol Campbell, who has suffered from similar problems of his own in the past.

The centre-half is set for a return to action with West Brom following his walkout from Notts County last month (Daily Mirror).

And finally, Middlesbrough's on-loan striker Caleb Folan wins the prize for blast of the week after his gem, aimed Hull City boss Phil Brown, who questioned the Irishman's attitude in training when he was at the KC Stadium(The Sun).

Folan said: "Every day I was there I have probably been the best trainer, so for him to come out with comments like that, it was quite embarrassing really.

"It is just childish, pathetic and laughable. It's very strange because it's a good set-up there - I just think they are not being managed in the right way."

"It was difficult to hear, but that is his kind of way and if he wants to come out with stupid comments like that then let him be.

Eurosport

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  1. Rafa has to go together with the yanks. LFC need a­ motivator, have u ever seen Rafa celebrate with the­ team/ players - never, not even a smile. Players need­ to see passion from their leader - like SAF and Jose.­ He must take Riera, Kuyt, Babel and Lucas with him and­ find another team to plunge into onbscurity. Our­ players lack the fire that you see in Man­ U/Chelsea& Arsenal. All due to Rafa's defensive­ tactics and zonal marking. My grandma can score against­ our zonal marking system. Space dont score goals -­ opposing players do.

    From Naseeb S, on Thu 8 Oct 2:49PM

  2. GEEE georgie why run away???? ofload the fat @#$% coach­ rafa, use the money to hire
    a new dynamic coach and the­ club "will never walk alone"

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 8 Oct 2:45PM

  3. GEEE georgie...why run away????? off load the fat @#$%­ coach called rafa. use the
    money to hire a new coach­ and you'll have saved your club from "walking­ alone"

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 8 Oct 2:39PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    What do you call a gay spaniard?

    FERNANDO TORRES! ­ Yak! yak! yak!

    From Sid, on Thu 8 Oct 2:26PM

  5. 32.What do you call a gay couple

    MAN-UNITED

    From eric, on Thu 8 Oct 2:03PM

  6. Club are bought by arab.. its just business.. and what­ i heard these arab also interested to open an academy­ in their country.. well i think for the football­ development in their country.. in order to do that they­ have to go to one of the many best team especially in­ EPL because its the best in the world.. highest quality­ ever.. that is my opinion.. TALKING ABOUT MONEY!! there­ are no much differents with the other club.. MAN UTD,­ REAL MADRID, CHELSEA and about to be maybe now­ Liverpool.. all of them are driven with BIG MONEY.. and­ also its not the races whether Russian, or Arabian or­ American or whatever the races are.. what i do see is­ that the EPL NOW ARE MILLIONAIRE OR BILLIONAIRE­ PLAYGROUND.. so its just a normal things.. it happened­ before now its just to many arabian buying them for the­ moments..

    From gdee213, on Thu 8 Oct 1:36PM

  7. I am not a Liverpool supporter, but they are certainly­ not out of contention. There are too many teams in the­ premiership who this season will be very difficult to­ beat on their own turf. Liverpool, Man U, Man City,­ Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Villa, Burnley, Stoke and­ Sunderland. When the main contenders have come through­ the majority of these away games and the dust has­ settled, then we will see where we are. My bet is that­ this season the big four will lose more games between­ them than any other season, so six points off the pace­ is perhaps at this stage of the season not so­ disastrous. Chelsea were lucky at Stoke. Man U lucky at­ home to both Arsenal and Sunderland. Luck will come­ into it as well.

    From Chiu, on Thu 8 Oct 1:13PM

  8. please stop the "gate" thing!

    From Michael, on Thu 8 Oct 1:03PM

  9. The photo above is too good an opportunity to miss.­ Lets have some caption suggestions.
    How about for­ starters. "And with a bit of luck they will all­ blame Rafa, tee hee hee"

    From Chiu, on Thu 8 Oct 12:53PM

  10. I always thought Phil Brown was a bit of a chump.

    From mfranklin444, on Thu 8 Oct 12:52PM

  11. the season just start...liverpool will fight up for the­ title challenge...benitez should do something for the­ club...put babel as 2nd striker to help­ torres...gerrard have advantage to score

    From ahmad, on Thu 8 Oct 12:44PM

  12. chelsea are the real kings!

    From robbo, on Thu 8 Oct 12:41PM

  13. Why don't they just call it the Arabian Premier­ League? :roll:

    From David, on Thu 8 Oct 12:41PM

  14. Gillett probably has an appointment to meet Thaksin in­ Dubai, where the fugitive from Thai justice now spends­ most of his time. I bet he is considering a deal with­ Thaksin picking up a commission for introducing him to­ the right people. After all Thaksin revealed in an­ interview, that his purchase of a diamond mine was­ financed by profit from the sale of Manchester City­ Football Club, so with his help Gillett might be able­ to get a bob or two for 50% of Liverpool.

    From Chiu, on Thu 8 Oct 12:39PM

  15. Everytime I read articles about clubs in the PL being­ bought by an arab sheikh, All i hear in my head is the­ song ARAB MONEY!
    incase u people noticed, this is club­ number 3 out of 20 in the EPL where an Arab has laid­ his hand on stakes of clubs..
    This will cause­ Excessive money being flooded in the EPL where clubs­ wont only be financially strong, but player prices will­ rise up like it never reach b4, Making it pure­ gibbiresh in football sense. Power will come with money­ and that will soon step on the respect that some teams­ have in the EPL..
    You can expect a few more teams to­ be bought by the rest of the Arab princes. As an Arab,­ competition with money and pride of ownership is our­ game..

    Good luck EPL..

    From blitzn_2001, on Thu 8 Oct 12:16PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    both George Gillet & Tom Hicks must stay at­ LOSER'POO' for the good of the­ club..seriously..imao..hahaha...

    From Those Rats likes Bin dippin for free Cheeseburger, on Thu 8 Oct 12:12PM

  17. The world is not nice anymore …..When money can buy­ anything… anything is cheap ….. It will not be­ surprising to see rich countries buy top players to­ play for their countries in order to win the world­ cup….they started that with the clubs and most probably­ they will change the rules and permit that for­ countries …the achievements which can be bought is­ worthless….look at Real Madrid, Manchester city, and­ Chelsea before them, they tried to buy every top player­ available for sale and they succeeded in many cases …­ There is some universities who sell master degrees for­ anyone who can pay for it …football nowadays is­ something like that…

    From raed i, on Thu 8 Oct 12:05PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    and again the scum comment with their vile drivel...­ Most of you idiots commenting on here wouldn't­ understand the workings of capitalism and finance­ anyway so you talk down about people...

    A wise man­ once said Small people talk about people
    average people­ talk about things and great people talk about big­ ideas

    now go back to your minimum wage jobs you scummy­ people!

    From Fahad, on Thu 8 Oct 11:56AM

  19. MAN UTD HAVE BEEN ANGERED BY THE WAY PL REFS HAVE­ CALLED FOR STIFFER SANCTIONS ON FERGIE.ANGERED?THIS­ CLUB AND FERGIE THINKS THEY ARE UNTOUCHABLES IN THE PL­ AND THAT HE CAN SAY WHATEVER HE LIKES AND GET AWAY WITH­ IT AND EVEN REFS ARE SCARED OF HIM.WHEN BENITEZ CAME­ OUT LAST SEASON WITH FACTS ABOUT FERGIE AND THE BIAS OF­ FA TOWARDS FERGIE THE MEDIA SAID HE WAS RANTING AND­ THAT COST LIVERPOOL THE TITLE WHICH WAS RUBBISH.REFS GO­ TO OLD TRAFFORD AND THEY REFUSE TO GIVE BLATANT­ PENALTIES AGAINST MAN U, FLECTHER ON ARSHAVIN A TYPICAL­ EXAMPLE

    From valach, on Thu 8 Oct 11:54AM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WE WILL NEVER SELL ALONE!!!! screw live-a-fool fans

    From Alex C, on Thu 8 Oct 11:47AM
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