More foreign money to be poured into the Premier League

According to this morning’s Sun newspaper, Liverpool’s financial chief Philip Nash and commercial director Ian Ayre have been sent to the Middle East to thrash out a takeover deal with the man above, Nasser Al-Kharafi.

The Kuwaiti, who inherited most of his £12bn net worth, is currently the world’s 46th richest man, and is said to be interested in a £400m deal for the Anfield club.

Last November, we suggested the current financial apocalypse would force out the eternally unpopular Hank Hicks and Billy Bob Gillett, and the 64-year-old father-of-five is looking to take the club away from them completely. However, at present, it is understood that Liverpool want the Yanks reduce their share to 25 per cent, with Al-Kharafi claiming the remaining 50.

Liverpool’s debts currently stand at £350m, which they owe to two banks (Wachovia and the Royal Bank of Scotland), and have even been faced with the prospect of selling their biggest stars to balance the books.

Liverpool fans and Jamie Carragher are particularly unhappy that Hanks and Gillett have pulled a profit from the club, while failing to invest in the squad and neglecting to start building the new Stanley Park stadium.

If this deal went through, the Reds could potentially be as well-funded as Manchester City, but nowhere near as laughably unpopular.

Spoiler bonus: Nasser Al-Kharafi tried to take control of Newcastle Utd last October. Check out the fact file we compiled on the prospective Premier League owner here.

Kuwaiti could take control of the Toon as soon as next week

After failed attempts from Indian entrepreneur Anil Ambani, the Bin Laden family and numerous consortia, it seems that a Kuwaiti named Nasser Al-Kharafi (not ‘Masser’, as The Telegraph seems to believe) will soon drag Mike Ashley away from the bar long enough to thrash out the sale of Newcastle United.

Al-Kharafi, the world’s 48th richest man according to Forbes Magazine, is said to be close to agreeing a £300m price for the Magpies, and after studying the club’s finances could be set for a takeover as soon as next week.

Here’s what The Spoiler has been able to discover thus far about the middle eastern billionaire:

* Al-Kharafi is 64, and inherited most of his £9bn estimated net worth.
* Most of his money was made through a family construction company, but he also heads M.A. Kharafi & Sons, a private conglomerate with hundreds of subsidiaries and affiliates. It’s food division owns the middle eastern franchises for Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, KFC, Wimpy and Krispy Kreme (is this what attracted Ashley?)
* He lives in Kuwait City, and is married with five children.
* He is neither a rotund drunk, nor a ‘cockney’.

Despite insisting on a much higher price a few months ago, it seems Ashley is now willing to accept a lower price for the club he paid around £134m for. Perhaps after losing a reported £1bn in the credit crisis, the much maligned businessman is ready to cut his losses.