LIVERPOOL'S American owners have again delayed an announcement of a successful refinancing deal but an agreement should be made public today or on Monday.

Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are on the verge of sealing a £350m package and had been expected to announce that it had gone through.

There are no serious hitches and it is understood the deal is all but signed off, and the announcement will include details of the chosen design for a new stadium at Stanley Park.

Of the £350m, more than £160m will be debt tied to Liverpool and around £190m covered by Hicks and Gillett's guarantees.

The £160m figure includes £105m new cash for the club - £65m to kick-start work on the new stadium, and a further sum of £45m of working capital, including money for player acquisitions. The remainder is the existing debt the Americans inherited when they took over the club a year ago.

Hicks and Gillett are insisting that the other £190m in the refinancing package - to cover their initial cost of buying the club - will not be loaded onto Liverpool.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry and former chairman David Moores, who is still a board member, have made it clear they oppose any of the takeover debt being loaded on to the club.

Now that doubts over the refinancing deal have evaporated, the Americans - particularly Hicks - face a struggle to win back the fans, not to mention manager Rafael Benitez.

Supporters staged protests against the owners at Anfield on Monday night.