Bradford City and Wigan Athletic owners ready to sell as takeovers could loom | OneFootball

League One duo Bradford City and Wigan Athletic are both up for sale, according to The Athletic

League One clubs are at the business end of their season, with promotions and relegations still to be decided, while two third-tier outfits could be set for ownership changes.

The League One title race is currently being contested by Cardiff City and Lincoln City, and the Imps leapfrogged the Bluebirds into top spot with their 2-0 win in the Welsh capital on Saturday.

Both Cardiff and Lincoln appear unlikely to be caught by third-place Bolton Wanderers, while the Greater Manchester club could be joined in the play-offs by the likes of Bradford City and Huddersfield Town.

At the other end of the table, Rotherham United, Leyton Orient, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic are among those battling to obtain third-tier survival.

Wigan Athletic and Bradford City up for sale as financial details revealed

While the Latics are vying to secure their League One status, the Greater Manchester outfit could be subject to a change in ownership, having been bought by local multimillionaire Mike Danson in 2023.

Wigan entered administration under a former ownership consortium from Hong Kong in 2020, and also faced points deductions thanks to the financial mismanagement of the Bahraini group that preceded Danson's reign.

Meanwhile, according to The Athletic, both Gary Caldwell's side and Bradford are up for sale, with both clubs fighting different battles on the pitch between now and the end of the season.

The report adds that Stefan Rupp, who has had sole ownership of the Bantams since 2019, has been listening to offers for years, which have accelerated since last term's promotion from League Two.

Rupp has been telling suitors that he wants to sell Bradford for at least £10million, which would give him a profit of around £5m, as he would write off the £5.4m he has lent the West Yorkshire outfit.

Meanwhile, The Athletic added that an 'investment memorandum' released by Wigan owner Danson in January made it clear that the Latics are for sale.

The report adds that Danson could sell the Latics for less than £10m, having rescued them from financial turmoil in 2023, and after making an effort to cut running costs.

Bradford City and Wigan Athletic owners may both have to wait until the close-season to complete a sale

Bradford and Wigan could both be under new ownership in the foreseeable future, but it remains to be seen which division either the West Yorkshire side or the Greater Manchester outfit will be in next term.

The fact that the Bantams are vying for promotion to the Championship just one year after winning promotion from League Two is indicative of the progress they have made with Rupp as owner.

Meanwhile, Graham Alexander's side will be a much more attractive asset to purchase if they are competing in the second tier next season, where they would lock horns with three of this term's Premier League outfits, potentially including Tottenham.

In contrast, Danson would find it harder to sell Wigan if the Brick Community Stadium side suffer relegation to League Two just four years after their most recent third-tier title triumph.

In all likelihood, prospective buyers will be unwilling to purchase either the Bantams or the Latics until it is decided which league they will be competing in next term.