Liverpool verdict awaited as new bids emerge

Liverpool's future will be decided this morning when Mr Justice Floyd delivers his verdict on the High Court case over the proposed takeover of the club by New England Sports Ventures.

The case involved several hours of complex legal argument during which Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, were accused of "breathtaking arrogance" in their attempts to try and sack the board members who were in favour of the sale of the club to NESV.

The Americans claimed that they had been "frozen out" of the sale process by the club's chairman Martin Broughton and the other English board members, who Hicks said referred to themselves as the "home team".

The case revolves around the whether Hicks and Gillett breached the terms of a deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland, to whom they owe £237m, when they blocked the sale of the club to NESV.

There were more than five hours of complex legal submissions on the matter and after deliberating overnight Mr Justice Floyd is to announce his verdict on Wednesday morning.

However, the verdict may not bring down the curtain on the saga. During a turbulent day in the court and outside, where fans gathered to vent their frustrations at the current owners, it emerged that two other bids for the club were now on the table.

The first came from Singaporean businessman and billionaire Peter Lim, who has made a cash offer of £320m for the club - more than the £300 that NESV tabled. Lim has also pledged to make £40m available for transfers.

The second new bid is even more intriguing as it comes from hedge fund Mill Financial, which claims it now owns George Gillett's stake in Liverpool as he defaulted on a loan. They are apparently offering to clear Liverpool's debts and to provide £100m towards the construction of a new stadium. ·