The group said it had entered a short period of exclusive talks with a prospectivebuyer for its Ladbroke Casinos business, following the receipt of an unsolicited approach announced last month.
The sky-high prices may seem to run counter to the conventional wisdom that the larger the prospectivebuyer pool, the larger the chances of attracting multiple bids and driving up the price.
Liverpool are in serious danger of missing out on qualifying for next season's Champions League, which would have a major impact on the finances at the club and the value to any prospectivebuyer.
In countries like the United States and Britain, there are well-defined paths that the prospectivebuyer of a company can follow to have a case heard and voted on by the target company's board and shareholders.