Bolton Wanderers are set to cash in on their Euxton training ground by selling it to local rivals Wigan Athletic, as a potential takeover of the club edges closer to reality.
The deal to sell the Euxton location to Wigan would see Bolton finally realise their long-term plans to relocate all their training facilities to the site of the Eddie Davies Football Academy, in Lostock.
The academy, which opened in 2008 with the aim of it becoming the club's sole training base, is a 40-acre facility that apparently includes 12 grass pitches in addition to an artificial pitch, changing rooms, offices and a physio room. The impressive sounding facility will require building work to ready it for first-team staff and players, so Wanderers would continue to use the Euxton base until the end of the current season should the sale go through.
This sale would of course bring in vital funds to aid Wanderers' financial predicament, and comes at the same time as Eddie Davies finally broke his silence on the club's takeover options.
Bolton's current owner has suggested he could make a decision on the club's next owners as soon as Friday, ahead of the club's date in court on Monday. Wanderers have to pay a £3m tax and VAT bill to HMRC to avoid the possibility of being put into liquidation, which would mean a fire sale of assets.
Takeover options
The takeover saga has been going on for months now, but reports suggest that Davies has spoken with several candidates in the last few days in a bid to push a deal. Any proposed owner would still have to pass Football League's fit and proper owner tests and prove they can fund the club for the next 12 months.
One option on the table could be a bid from Egyptian bilionaire and oil magnate Roger Tamraz, who was first linked to a move for Wanderers last month. Tamraz is rumoured to be advised by former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, whose influence would help convince Davies that the bid is genuine.
One of these bids is believed to be from the Bolton Wanderers' Supporters Trust, which submitted a public statement on its ongoing involvement in talks with the club last night.
Dean Holdsworth's Sports Shield consortium are also understood to be in the mix after months of talks with Davies, but the lack of movement suggests their bid is unlikely to go ahead. Other rumoured bids from Korean and Isle of Man-based investors seem less likely to materialise.
We'll bring you further updates on the status of the proposed takeover bids as and when we have it.