Leeds United has been given a four-day extension to avoid plunging into administration.

The debt-ridden Premiership football club has been in negotiations with a local consortium since last Thursday and talks are said to be at an advanced stage.

Trevor Birch, chief executive, declined to reveal the exact identity of the bidders, and yesterday was able to convince creditors to push back the deadline until 5pm on Friday.

According to reports, Leeds could be up to £100m in debt and needs at least £5m to see through the season.

Speculation has mounted over the identity of the bidders, although the board has now all but ruled out the possibility of Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak al-Khalifa taking over the Yorkshire club. Ex-Bradford chair Geoffrey Richmond denied that he is behind the eleventh-hour rescue attempt.

The deadline move has it risks for the creditors, as the Premiership transfer window is about to close. If a deal is not reached with the mystery bidders, the club will not be able to secure its immediate future by selling its star players. Details: www.leedsunited.com