LIVERPOOL’S OWNERS have suffered a blow in their efforts to sell the club to a Kuwaiti investment consortium. A spokesman for the consortium says the €562 million value put on the club by American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett is too high and negotiations are “going really badly”.

Abdulla Al-Sager, one of the possible investors in the consortium headed by Kuwait’s Al-Kharafi family, said: “Things are going really badly, because they are asking for too much. I don’t think anything will happen unless we get a better price.”

The consortium are likely to play a waiting game until July when Hicks and Gillett have to see if they can refinance Liverpool’s €337 million debts. If they cannot, they may be forced to sell for a much lower price. Liverpool have also been in talks with another investment group in the Middle East and one in the US. It is understood Hicks would ideally like to find a partner to buy Gillett’s stake and allow him to stay in control.

Meanwhile, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is confident he will be fit for the club’s crucial clashes in Europe and at home in the next 10 days. The Anfield side take on Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie looking to progress with a 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Bernabeu, and then face Manchester United in the Premier League in a match they have to win to have any hope of catching their bitter north-west rivals.

Torres has not played since he suffered an ankle injury in that Madrid victory, but revealed last night he is optimistic about returning next week. “I am quite optimistic I will be ready for the match versus Real Madrid, and if the ankle holds out, I will also be at Old Trafford.”

Torres does not accept his injury problems have cost Liverpool their chance of winning the Premier League title, adding: “I don’t think that my injury should be considered as a reason for Liverpool not winning the league . . . The league though is still alive, but Man United are looking strong and they are not dropping points.”

He also insisted his future at Anfield was not tied to that of manager Rafael Benitez, who is yet to sign a new deal with Liverpool.