The Merseyside outfit were put up for sale by current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in April, with the duo keen to end their association if a buyer can be found at their £600million asking price. That figure has so far prevented any meaningful progress in takeover discussions, with Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi the latest to withdraw his interest earlier on Tuesday. Hicks and Gillett need to find a buyer before October 15 to repay their £282million loans to the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia. If they are unsuccessful then RBS are poised to take control of Liverpool, the asset against which the loans are secured, and sell the club themselves to recoup their cash. It is understood that Liverpool's board and chairman Martin Broughton were in favour of recommending both of the new bids for consideration after meeting on Tuesday, but that plan was met with disagreement from the owners. Alongside the bid from the group behind successful MLB franchise the Red Sox, another offer has been tabled from a Far East consortium. The Red Sox are run by New England Sports Ventures, a group headed by John William Henry II and Tom Werner. Hicks and Gillett have become increasingly unpopular on Merseyside, with supporters blaming the duo for Liverpool's current fall from grace. The disappointment of last season's miserable seventh-placed finish has intensified this term with Rafa Benitez's replacement Roy Hodgson unable to stop the rot. The Reds suffered an embarrassing Carling Cup exit at home to League Two Northampton on penalties before going down 2-1 to newly-promoted Blackpool at Anfield on Sunday. How supporters of the five-time European champions would react to further involvement from across the Atlantic after their current American experience remains to be seen.
