THE owners of Liverpool FC are in talks with bankers over plans to load up the football club’s balance sheet with debt.

Tom Hicks, the billionaire American investor who bought the club in February with his compatriot George Gillett, has secretly asked Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to explore restructuring options.

These are understood to include transferring up to £350m of extra debt taken on to fund the acquisition of the club and secured against the duo’s personal assets onto the club’s balance sheet.

The restructuring talks are separate from talks to arrange funding for a new stadium and are likely to shock the Merseyside club’s supporters.

Hicks, who controls the Dallas Stars ice hockey team and the Texas Rangers baseball team, bought the club with Gillett, owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, through a privately controlled bid vehicle called Kop Football.

The deal was financed by £350m of debt provided largely by RBS and secured through the pair’s private assets. Hicks and Gillett could not be reached for comment.

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