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New bid for Wigan

The Athletic has reported that a group fronted by former Manchester United and Everton star Darron Gibson has emerged as the new favourite to buy League One side Wigan Athletic.  He is part of a group that includes a management team with a strong track record in British football and it is backed by a foreign investor with British links.

The group is understood to have shown it has the required funding to complete the deal and is scheduled to meet the English Football League this week.

The asking price for the club is £3 million but a prospective new owner also has to show the EFL they have £4 million to fund the club for two seasons.

Gibson’s group, which might be joined by two other footballers, is understood to have the funds to purchase the club in a bank account and a loan lined to fund the club going forward.

Bolton-based businessman Martin Halsall is still in the mix, as is a group that includes South African-based British businessman Saul Loggenberg.

In the meantime, the administrators have been running up a substantial bill according to football finance guru Kieran Maguire.   He reports that they now estimate that their fees will be £1.65m rising to £2.2m if there is a successful sale, based on an hourly rate of £338 rising to £451 if they are successful.





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