Ian Lenagan quashes "false" report he's on brink of selling Wigan Warriors

League Express today reported Mike Danson - who bought a stake in the club last year - is on the "verge" of taking over.

The story was picked up by several news agencies but all stemming from the initial article in League Express which appears under the byline of Chris Jones, thought to be a pseudonym of editor Martyn Sadler.

Wigan chairman Lenagan, 75, has issued a statement saying he has "no current plans" to relinquish control of the club.

He said: "This report is false. I am surprised that the editor of League Express, who has my personal mobile number and has phoned me many times previously for comments, did not check with me the accuracy of it before publishing.”

Lenagan continued: “It is well known that Mike Danson and Darryl Eales are shareholders in Lenagan Investments, the company which controls ownership of Wigan. This is a very strong position for Wigan Rugby League Club Ltd and its supporters. There are no current plans for the Lenagan family to relinquish control of Lenagan Investments and, hence, Wigan Warriors.”

Last summer, Danson acquired at least a quarter of the club for £2.5m. His involvement led some to speculate he could be the eventual successor to Lenagan - though the club chairman has given no indication in recent times he is ready to step down.

He has been working hard behind-the-scenes with both the club and as a Super League board member, which was why the report in League Express caught many by surprise.

Lenagan has been majority owner of Wigan since 2007, overseeing their title success three years later and regular final appearances and trophy victories since then.

Danson, who was born in Wigan, was listed at number 128 on last year's Sunday Times rich list with a fortune estimated at £1.17bn.

He owns two-thirds of information provider GlobalData, holdings valued at around £870m, and previously made £193m from the company he founded, Datamonitor.

Eales is current chairman of Solihull Moors football club and, like Lenagan, was previously a chairman of Oxford United.