Liverpool ‘sold’ to Boston Red Sox owners

The era of Tom Hicks and George Gillett appears to be over at Anfield after Liverpool announced that the board had agreed to sell the club to New England Sports Ventures (NESV), which owns the Boston Red Sox.

But Liverpool's current co-owners, already hated by the Anfield faithful, are refusing to go without a fight and attempted to sack those members of the board who supported the deal. And their stance means that the sale is likely to be held up by a legal battle.

Hicks and Gillett's position is sure to cause even more outrage among the already furious Liverpool fans, and the coming weeks could be the most acrimonious in the club's history.

In a statement on Liverpool's official website on Wednesday morning, chairman Martin Broughton said: "The board decided to accept NESV's proposal on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a suitable new owner. NESV's philosophy is all about winning and they have fully demonstrated that at Red Sox.

"We've met them in Boston, London and Liverpool over several weeks and I am immensely impressed with what they have achieved and with their vision for Liverpool Football Club.

"By removing the burden of acquisition debt, this offer allows us to focus on investment in the team. I am only disappointed that the owners have tried everything to prevent the deal from happening and that we need to go through legal proceedings in order to complete the sale."

Broughton was appointed by Hicks and Gillett earlier this year with the aim of finding a buyer for the club. They may now be regretting that decision as he and other board members Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre went against them at a meeting on Tuesday night and voted in favour of the offer from New England - one of two that was reportedly on the table.

NESV are believed to have offered around £300m for Liverpool. That is only half of what Hicks and Gillett were hoping for, but enough to pay off the club's debts of around £240m, plus the further £40m in fees and charges it owes to the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The current owners paid £174.1m to buy the club in 2007, and agreed to take on the club's debt, which then stood at around £45m. They will make a substantial loss on the NESV deal if it does go through.

Aside from the objections of Hicks and Gillett the proposed takeover must overcome other hurdles. The new American owners must be cleared by the Premier League before they can take control.

But the biggest concern is over the need to have a deal in place by the end of next week. If the club's finances have not been sorted out by October 15 Liverpool will be hit by a further penalty of £60m by RBS. That could prove to be hugely significant as the club's debts would then exceed the offer reportedly tabled by NESV, possibly ending their interest. ·