BIG DEAL TO SAVE STEVEN GERRARD AND FERNANDO TORRES

LIVERPOOL are poised to seal a £100m investment package which could be vital to keeping stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard at Anfield.

The star duo are in danger of being put up for sale if club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett do not raise money to reduce debts of £237m owed to the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Torres has already spoken out for the need of a summer of spending after a miserable season that has seen the Reds lose 15 games in all competitions, leaving them in danger of missing a Champions League place.

“To be competitive, we need four or five top-class players, better than are here now,” said Spanish ace Torres. “Without reinforcements we will be battling again to make fourth place.”

This season’s miserable run has also increased the chance of skipper Gerrard moving to Real Madrid, a potential deal that was exclusively revealed in StarSport two months ago.

But Hicks and Gillett are hopeful that New York-based Rhone Group are ready to provide the cash injection and take a major stake in the Merseyside club.

And their arrival on the scene could also spark renewed interest from Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, with Liverpool officials keen to have all offers on the table by Easter so a decision can be made at the end of the season.

RBS, who have been subjected to an email campaign from disgruntled Reds fans unhappy that they are propping up Hicks and Gillett, have demanded that £100m of the debt must be repaid by July but they would then offer the club a long-term refinancing deal of up to four years.

The Rhone Group, a private equity firm, are proposing to take a 40 per cent shareholding, leaving Gillett and Hicks with 30 per cent each.

Meanwhile, boss Rafa Benitez must hope the team’s fortunes on the pitch take a turn for the better tonight when they host rock bottom Portsmouth.

The Merseysiders trail fourth-placed Tottenham by four points.

Pompey manager Avram Grant said: “Liverpool only have problems because they are not getting the results.

“Everyone there just has to be patient and the results will start to come again. We all know they are a good team with good players and a very good manager.”

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