The Texan’s refusal came after it emerged Amanda Staveley, a senior partner at London-based PCP, a private equity firm acting for DIC, had tabled a £400m offer to buy the club.
Rich, blonde and beautiful, Amanda Staveley was once best known for having turned down a marriage proposal from Prince Andrew.
Now the 35-year-old millionaire from Doncaster is poised to become one of football's most high-profile women after helping to broker the incredible £210million Abu Dhabi takeover of Premiership club Manchester City.
The success of the last-minute deal was down, in no small part, to Miss Staveley' s close links with several members of the Arab elite - relationships the former model and internet entrepreneur has been building for the past decade.
Businesswoman Amanda Staveley - who brokered the Manchester City deal - watches a football match between Liverpool and Chelsea.