Dubai International Capital (DIC) remains confident that George Gillett Jr will accept its improved offer for his 50 per cent stake in Liverpool. Gillett, the club's co-chairman, was said to be considering his options and consulting lawyers and brokers last night, increasing DIC's belief that he will accept its offer of a healthy profit rather than allow the process to drag on.

Tom Hicks, Gillett's co-owner, claimed last week that his fellow American “cannot sell without my approval”, but sources close to DIC, the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government, claim to have “found a way around that” and that when, not if, Gillett agrees to sell, Hicks will have little option but to do likewise - a scenario that Hicks insists will not transpire as he looks to buy out his business partner.

Gillett, whose partnership with Hicks has disintegrated over the 13 months since they arrived at Anfield, rejected DIC's offer of £200million for his stake - and thus a £25million personal profit once the club's borrowings are taken into account - before a deadline of midnight on Tuesday. The offer was increased over that evening in negotiations between his lawyers and Amanda Staveley, DIC's principal adviser, with sweeteners including a clause that would entitle him to a portion of future profits should Liverpool flourish under new ownership.

Gillett, owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey franchise, was the instigator of the original takeover just over a year ago, when he and Hicks gazumped DIC to buy Liverpool, but several factors - notably a difficult financial climate and his dysfunctional working relationship with Hicks - have persuaded him to sell his stake.

He is at present recovering from illness at his home in Vail, Colorado, while his son, Foster, who was given the job as a liaison between the owners and Rafael Benítez, the manager, has returned to Montreal indefinitely.

Hicks promises to be a far more awkward negotiator, but DIC doubts the claims from the United States that he has the means to pursue his ambition of buying out Gillett's stake. His reported plan to buy 2 per cent of Gillett's stake - giving him majority control, with 51 per cent of the share capital - is not taken seriously by DIC, which claims that it would trigger a “change of control” clause.