Bolton administrators select preferred bidder for troubled club

The joint administrators for troubled Bolton have announced they have received a suitable offer for the club.
The identity of the prospective buyer has not yet been revealed but they have proved they have significant funding available to rescue the ailing Trotters.
Joint administrators David Rubin and Partners stipulated any parties interested in the club would need to prove they had at least £25million available.
This test was passed by the successful bidder, who then had to submit a final offer before a deadline on Wednesday. The interested party, who meets EFL approval, also intends to inject £1million into the club for its immediate running.
They have also proved they can finance the club for a minimum of two years and can satisfy outstanding creditors.
Paul Appleton of David Rubin and Partners said in a statement: “I am delighted we have been able to reach a more than satisfactory outcome to this stage of the process and I am confident the preferred bidder has the ability to take Bolton Wanderers forward.
“We are now working towards a signed heads of terms agreement by close of play on June 14 and until that has been signed, we are still bound by the confidentiality agreement within the process.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“But I can assure all Bolton Wanderers fans that the preferred bidder has both the financial ability and the determination to turn around the fortunes of this great football club.”
Bolton, who were relegated from the Sky Bet Championship last season, went into administration in May after a takeover bid by former Watford chairman Laurence Bassini collapsed. Five parties were thought to be interested in taking over the club prior to Wednesday’s deadline.
With this process still ongoing, the club have revealed they have just nine members of last season’s first-team squad contracted and only 14 in total, including scholars and under-23s players.
Only seven of the group are senior players in Ben Alnwick, Connor Hall, Jason Lowe, Josh Magennis, Remi Matthews, Luke Murphy and Erhun Oztumer.
Scholars Lucas Connell and Ronan Darcy, who are also on the retained list, broke into the side last year.
The club will start next season in League One with a 12-point deduction as a result of going into administration.
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.

‘I don’t think Liverpool would look at Ollie Watkins, a striker isn’t a pressing issue for them – it’s Arsenal who need one’ Former Reds star explains why his old club don’t need an out-and-out forward this summer

‘He’ll still be playing at 40 at a good level because he’s in such good shape and looks after himself so well. He does everything to be a top professional’: Ex-Liverpool coach insists Mohamed Salah has plenty more miles in the tank