Leeds City Council (LCC) is set to continue talks with Leeds United Football Club (LUFC) over the possibility of helping the club in its bid to reacquire the Thorp Arch training facility from its current owner.

A clause in the current lease agreement on the Thorp Arch facility enables LUFC to purchase it back from the current owner, although this option expires on 10 October and the club has approached LCC to assist in any potential deal. The council's executive board agreed to authorise officers to pursue discussions with the football club in a bid to re-acquire the site ahead of the 2012 Olympics, the 2013 and 2015 Rugby League and Union World Cups and the 2018 Football World Cup.

However, councillors have already ruled out the possibility of a loan to help LUFC purchase the facility and is now considering one alternative option of borrowing funds to acquire the site itself before leasing it back to the club. LCC executive board member responsible for city development, Andrew Carter, said: "Our main concern is that this arrangement must not ultimately be paid for by the council taxpayers of Leeds, so before we agree to anything we must be satisfied that all of our costs would be fully covered by the club's rent payments and security bonds.

"We will now be putting a proposal to the club based on a set lease. We have made it very clear on what basis we are able to help and hope Leeds United are able to accept these terms."