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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard celebrates - Source: Reuters -
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Liverpool's American co-owner Tom Hicks has insisted none of the clubs star players will be sold in order to help curb the clubs spiraling debt.
The Reds are currently enduring one of the worst runs in their Premier League history and now sit seventh on the table, twelve points behind leaders Chelsea, who beat Manchester United on Monday.
They are also in danger of missing out on the lucrative knockout stages of the Champions League, a tournament they have often dominated during Rafa Benitez's reign.
Failure to reach the last 16 of the tournament would be a huge financial blow to the Merseyside club, already drowning in debt, but Hicks is adamant the likes of star duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard will not be forced out of Anfield because of money woes.
'None of our star players will be sold, regardless of results." Hicks is quoted as saying in Sunday Mirror.
'The club is doing very well due to rapidly growing commercial revenues. We have significant investor interest and want to make sure that we pick high-quality partners.
'We are happy with the way things are going financially but we hoped things would be better on the pitch.'
One idea the owners have come up with though is money for naming rights of the 'New Anfield.'
And Hicks believes the club could fetch a world record sum of around 250 million pounds for stadium naming rights when they eventually leave the ground.
Hicks, who plans to keep a stake in Liverpool even if partner George Gillett sells his share, made his claim after a week in which Chelsea and Tottenham revealed they plan to raise money through selling the naming rights of their respective clubs.
The current naming rights record of about 225m is being paid to NBA side the New Jersey Nets when they move to the Barclays Center in 2011.
But Hicks believes that Liverpool will be in a position to top that.
'The naming rights for the new stadium will be the most attractive in the world due to TV coverage of the Premier League and the millions of Liverpool fans around the world." He said.
We likely will partner with someone wanting global branding, unlike the US stadiums which only worry about TV appeal in the States, similar to why Standard Chartered chose to partner with us on our shirts.
