DIC confirmed it was embarking on a process of due diligence at Anfield, examining details of the club's financial affairs before they sign the agreement. But no deal has yet been agreed with the company, which owns Tussauds and the London Eye, and is linked to Dubai's ruling Maktoum family. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the ruler of Dubai. With an estimated personal wealth of $10bn, there are only four men on the planet with more cash than him. Sameer Al Ansari, chief executive officer of DIC, said: "DIC has a strong track record as a very serious investor with considerable resources at its disposal. "At the same time, we are supporters of the game and of the club. Liverpool's investment requirements have been well publicised and we hope we can agree a deal that will provide the club with the funds it needs, both on and off the pitch." The announcement was greeted cautiously in the city last night. Steve Broomhead, chief executive of the North West Development Agency, has so far refused to hand over £9m for the club's preparatory works on the £200m Stanley Park stadium because of the uncertainty over how it would fund the scheme. He told the Daily Post: "I welcome the news that the due diligence process is under way with the Dubai consortium. "I would want to have a conversation with any new owners at the earliest possible opportunity about their long-term commitment to the regeneration of north Liverpool. If it does go ahead, it will be great for football and the city." Cllr Flo Clucas, who chairs the Objective 1 projects committee which has handed over funding towards the stadium development, said: "I cannot comment on the possible Dubai investment, but I look forward to the regeneration of Anfield and the creation of new jobs, businesses and tourism." Vimal Malik, a Dubai business expert, said: "Dubai Holdings is a business which expects to make a profit and Liverpool will be no different. The way Sheikh Mohammed runs things is to trust experts in any given field to make him money. "He also believes in long-term gains rather than trying to make a quick buck. This deal is good and bad news for Liverpool fans. He will invest to try and be the best, but if it fails he will not be sentimental." Bob Wareing, Labour MP for West Derby, said: "Liverpool Football Club should be owned by someone close to Anfield and with a long-standing interest in the club, not someone in Dubai." But Peter Kilfoyle, Labour MP for Walton, said: "Liverpool needs an injection of money to keep up its long record of success. "It's a football club and it's tradeable. They are perfectly entitled to sell it, in the same way as Man United was sold to an American." samlister@dailypost.co.uk | 
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