Aston Villa Football Club has confirmed it has received an approach on behalf of a consortium group which could lead to an offer for the club.

Reports over the weekend claimed that the bid was placed on behalf of Irish brothers Brian and Luke Comer, who own the Comer Homes Group.

A spokesperson said the club, which is currently managed by former Irish international, David O’Leary, was treating the approach as preliminary.

“The board has not met with any other members of the consortium group nor received any confirmation of the availability of sufficient funding to support any potential offer and so they can only treat the approach as specualtive at this stage,” he said.

It is the second time the football club has confirmed an approach since August.

In September it was rumoured that a Russian consortium was lining up a takeover bid for the Birmingham-based club.