BBC revealed that a Dubai consortium offered 350 million pounds and that the American owners were ready to sell.

But in a statement released by his company, Hicks said reports of a potential sale were "a complete fabrication and absolutely and categorically untrue".

Hicks and his fellow countryman George Gillett bought the five-time European champions for $431 million and promised to invest $378 million in addition to built a new stadium.

But both have been in a rift with the board and the crowd as the team failed to meet the expectations and also after their latest negotiations with Jurgen Klinsmann to take over the team succeeding Rafael Benitez.