Wednesday 4 March 2020 22:09, UK
Laurence Bassini has held talks to buy Oldham Athletic with the League Two club staring down the barrel of administration.
But Oldham chairman Abdallah Lemsagam has told Sky Sports News that no deal has yet been agreed and that he also plans to pay outstanding debts to avoid Friday's ominous deadline.
Lemsagam has confirmed he has settled an outstanding tax bill with HMRC and paid most of the staff their wages, and plans to pay the £570,000 owed to the former owners as well as any outstanding player wages by Friday.
Lemsagam took control of the club in January 2018 and has faced multiple financial issues, not least the ongoing dispute with the former owners, who still retain possession of the stadium.
The club face administration over unpaid bills to HMRC and overdue rent on Boundary Park to Simon Blitz's company Brassbank.
Former Watford owner Bassini remains intent on getting back into football and this week made an offer to buy Oldham.
Bassini believed he had bought Bolton Wanderers last summer and went to court to try to prove he had formally agreed a deal, but lost a legal challenge and he club was instead taken over by the Football Ventures consortium.
Any Bassini deal for Oldham will be subject to EFL approval, and they confirmed in court last year that at no stage did the 49-year-old pass their ownership test while trying to purchase Bolton.
Oldham are currently 17th in League Two, 19 points clear of relegation but 15 short of the play-offs with just nine wins from their 36 games so far this season.
