WANDERERS have been targeted by a team of US investors, The Bolton News understands.

Discussions have been held between majority shareholders Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth, and New York-based Iron Clad Sports, who have helped finance major takeovers including the $340million acquisition of Washington Redskins in 1999.

Hopes of any major cash investment have been cooled from within the club, however, with sources suggesting a deal was unlikely to move forward.

Anderson remains in discussion to buy Holdsworth’s shares so that his Inner Circle Investment company will become the club’s sole owner and claims to have plans in place to fund the Whites’ £800,000-a-month losses to the end of the season with a mix of equity and borrowing.

Talk of a sale has persisted but the chairman told fans a fortnight ago that he was “in it for the long haul” and has publicly denied reported links with Saudi Arabian investors in the past.

In September Anderson confirmed he had spoken to potential investors in China and Malaysia and that he would entertain the idea of creating additional shares and diluting his own if the right partners came along.

“I have no intention to sell my shares, the club’s not for sale,” he said. “If people want to come in we’ll issue new shares, I’m not looking for them to invest money that goes into my pocket, it’s to go into the club.

“Our aspirations are hopefully to get up this season, and then if we can get up we know that to compete with the Derbys, the Aston Villas, the Newcastles, and even when you look at what Forest and Bristol City are selling players for, we’re going to need more money if we really ever think we’re going to get back into the Premier League.”

Wanderers return to the Macron on Boxing Day to take on Shrewsbury Town with ticket sales said to have picked up well in the last week.

Around 500 fans are due to visit from Shropshire but the Whites’ coffers have also been boosted with a sell-out on 1,000 hospitality tickets.