Potential new owners will '˜retain ethos and tradition of Wigan Athletic'

Speaking at the club’s AGM at the DW Stadium on Monday night, chief executive Jonathan Jackson read out a statement to shareholders, on behalf of the Whelan family, confirming ‘non-disclosure agreements were signed in October’, and that further discussions were ongoing.

The potential new owners – one of ‘a number of parties from all over the world expressing interest in purchasing their shares’ – have satisfied the Whelan family they will ‘retain the fundamental ethos and tradition of the club’, while possessing ‘the required financial resources’ to take the club forward.

In the meantime, the Whelan family – who have invested over £100million into the club since taking control in 1995 – would remain ‘fully committed to owning and funding the club as long as necessary’.

It’s been a remarkable adventure – both on and off the field – since Dave Whelan bought the club almost 23 years ago.

He immediately signalled his ambition to revolutionise the club both on and off the field by bringing in the ‘Three Amigos’ – Roberto Martinez, Isidro Diaz and Jesus Seba.

Latics won promotion from the fourth tier in 1997 and, after winning the Auto Windscreens Shield at Wembley in 1999, achieved promotion to the second tier in 2003.

Two years later Latics won promotion to the Premier League, thanks to a final-day win over Reading, reaching the final of the League Cup the following season.

After eight years in the Premier League – not to mention an FA Cup final victory in 2013 – they slipped out of the top flight but, after dropping down to League One, are in pole position to go back up to the Championship this term.