LFC rumour mill: Pedersen, Diarra, Rafinha all linked with move to Anfield

Feb 18 2008

Liverpool's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett will pocket £50m between them if they sell the club, latest rumours claim.

Arab consortium Dubai International Capital are closing in on a deal to end the Americans' turbulent reign at Anfield

Negotiations have reached a key stage, with Gillett now most likely to be first to end his association with the club, says the News of the World.

Hicks remains the main obstacle as the Arab investment group seek a swift conclusion.

The club is now valued at around £400m, but £350m of this figure forms recently incurred debt.

That means if both Americans were to sell now, they'd share a £50m profit for a year of disarray.

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BLACKBURN'S Morten Gamst Pedersen is the latest player to be linked with a move to Anfield, if Rafa Benitez is still in charge.

Pedersen, who has shone out in the Blackburn team in previous seasons, is seen by some as a solution to Liverpool's attacking problems.

The Scandanavian has regularly been linked with top clubs across Europe.

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Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is on the trail of  £20m midfield star Mahamadou Diarra, according to latest reports  - but could face competition from AC Milan and Juventus.   Liverpool have already inquired about Real Madrid's Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra who signed for the Spanish giants from Lyon 18 months ago.

His agent Federico Guerra said: "Inter Milan contacted me in January to try to sign Mahamadou in the last transfer window.

"We were also contacted by Liverpool, AC Milan and Juventus. Diarra still has three years left on his contract but we're willing to listen to all the offers and then we will talk to Real to see what is decided."

The News of the World says Liverpool are also chasing Schalke04's £5million-rated Rafinha, 22, who was named best full-back in the 2005 Under-20 World Cup.