Now Gillett and Hicks can squabble over Rich List

According to the new Football Rich List, released exclusively on FourFourTwo.com today, the argumentative Americans are both worth £500m – a sharp change from January, when Hicks was worth £700m and Gillett only 300m.

Wisconsin-born Gillett has leapt up the list thanks to his recent sale of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey side for £360m. Texan Hicks, though, hasn't had any such sale.

The two Americans have overtly been searching for new investors in Liverpool. The club's debt is around £245m, and the owners borrowed £185m to buy the club plus a further £165m to pump into it.

While Forbes magazine rated Hicks at £900m last October, that doesn't hold much water with the researchers behind FourFourTwo's list – headed up by Philip Beresford, who has compiled The Sunday Times' Rich List since 1989.

"That analysis was based on a sharp increase in the value of Liverpool," reads the report. "We think that in the deteriorating climate, and bearing in mind the debts at Anfield, the Forbes figure is way too ambitious. We settle for £500m until a sale of Liverpool stake goes through."

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Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.