WANDERERS are close to agreeing a deal with local rivals Wigan Athletic for the sale of their training ground at Euxton.

The club has refused to comment on a commercially-sensitive matter but sources suggest the agreement could be finalised within the next week.

Wanderers would continue using the training ground until the end of the season before moving to their Lostock base, alongside the academy, for pre-season in the summer.

Building work would also have to be completed on the academy site to house first-team staff and players but the club is confident the 40-acre facility, which houses 12 turf pitches and one all-weather pitch, would be suitable.

The former BAE Lostock site, off Lostock Lane, has been home to the Eddie Davies Academy since 2008 and was officially opened after nearly two years of planning wrangles.

League One Wigan have been searching for a new facility to house its first team and academy, which they hope could soon achieve category-one status.

Their current base at Christopher Park in Standish does not fulfil the necessary criteria but Wanderers have transformed Euxton into one of the best bases outside the top flight over the last decade.

Managing two bases has become difficult for the Whites in the current financial predicament, however, and after looking into a number of alternatives including a former golf course at Charnock Richard, Wigan are ready to complete the purchase of the land.