By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Dubai International Capital (DIC) is still active in its bid for Britain’s Liverpool Football lub though one of the club’s co-owners has reportedly rejected its offer, local newspaper Gulf News has reported.
DIC’s CEO Sameer Al Ansari confirmed earlier that his company was in talks with the Premier League club’s American co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, but did not reach an agreement on the club’s valuation.
“With Gillett showing interest in selling to DIC, it is a matter of persuading Hicks to agree on a price acceptable to both parties. It could be a matter of time and flexibility in negotiations,” a person familiar with the situation was quoted as saying.
It was reported that DIC offered £200 million ($397 million) to Hicks and Gillett respectively in exchange of the shares they hold in Liverpool club.
DIC made its first bid for Liverpool club in 2006 but quit later.
In the same year, Hicks and Gillett took over the club for £174 million ($343.4 million).
Under the terms of their co-ownership agreement, neither party can sell his stake to a third party without the approval of the other.
While Hicks has not formally rejected DIC’s offer, he has the option to buy out Gillett.
Established in 2004, DIC is a Dubai-based international investment company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Holding, a holding company owned by the Dubai government.
In 2007, DIC acquired substantial stakes in three Global Fortune 500 companies, namely HSBC Holdings, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) and Sony.