Liverpool takeover talks hit major road block

Liverpool's takeover talks with an investment consortium headed by the family of Kuwaiti tycoon Nasser Al-Kharafi appear to have hit a major snag.

The road block could turn into an impasse unless the club's American co-owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, lower their asking price, according to Abdulla Al-Sager, who is setting up to be one of the principals of the proposed deal.

"Things are going really badly, because they are asking for too much," Al-Sager told Bloomberg. "I don't think anything will happen unless we get a better price."

The American business-partners' reign at Anfield has been swamped with controversy after controversy, but so far there has been no indication that they are willing to dramatically adjust their valuation, believed to be in the region of $700 million.

Fans are still furious that Hicks and Gillett broke their promise not to pile debt upon the club, not to mention their inability to drum up the funds for a new stadium at Stanley Park.

Furthermore, the pair's relationship with manager Rafael Benitez has always been terse at best, and their constant disputes over transfer dealings have caused considerable unrest within the club.

Thus, a change in ownership would suit all parties concerned: The Hicks and Gillett would cash in and move out, much to most fans' delight, while Benitez should get the cash cow he always wanted.

At the present time it is looking less and less likely that a new owner would have any association with the Al-Kharafi consortium, however.