Liverpool Football Club is to be sold to the owners of Boston Red Sox, it was announced this morning.

The announcement followed boardroom turmoil during a meeting held to discuss the offers for the club.

Current owners Hicks and Gillett tried to wrest back control of the boardroom by attempting to remove managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre and bring in Hicks' son Mack and Lori Kay McCutcheon, financial controller at Hicks Holdings, to give them back the power to stop any sale.

It failed as the England-based contingent, Purslow, Ayre and chairman Martin Broughton, still have the majority vote.

That was part of the condition of the sale process when it was announced Liverpool was being put on the market in April, with the intention being preventing Hicks and Gillett being able to block a bid because it did not meet up to their expectations in terms of a profit-making deal. But the situation is now under legal review and that could hold up any deal being done.

Despite losing their boardroom battle, Hicks and Gillett, who are deeply unpopular with the Liverpool supporters, are expected to fight the sale in court.

The owners of the Red Sox are expected to absorb the club's massive debts, but will leave little to Hicks and Gillett.

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