LAURENCE Bassini insists he will avert a player strike in tomorrow afternoon’s Championship game against Brentford by paying wages at the 11th hour.

The squad announced this afternoon that they would boycott the game – and next weekend’s trip to Nottingham Forest – if they were not paid overdue salaries from March.

The PFA publicly backed their actions but the man who claims to be on the verge of buying the club said he would ensure the fixture went ahead by settling the bill ahead of kick-off.

Speaking to The Bolton News, the former Watford owner said he had already transferred £1million of personal funds ready to pay the debts.

“I am not going to allow this game to be postponed,” he said. “I will do everything I possibly can to make sure the players get paid and that this game goes ahead.”

It was announced on April 17 that Bassini had signed a sale and purchase agreement to buy Ken Anderson’s 94.5 per cent share in Wanderers’ parent company, Burnden Leisure, but aspects of the deal remained unfinished last night, which have caused issues for the incoming owner.

“Ken wanted to stay on as a director,” he said. “I have been working hard to get the shares but people need to know what he is doing.

“I have been speaking with creditors – people like Kier Gordon, who looks after Eddie Davies’s trust – and trying to sort things out because the job he did for the club while he was alive, it can’t be allowed to go to waste.

“I have been speaking with Shaun Harvey at the EFL, with Sir Dave Richards (former Premier League chairman) and I will speak with the players as soon as I can – I am not going to let this club down.”

Bassini claims he is now in control of the club - but that he has not been responsible for the delay in paying wages.

“I have had the money all ready – I wanted Anderson to send across the share certificate – but Anderson has come across with all sorts of excuses, wanting me to do this, do that.

“Quite clearly he cannot issues ultimatums, he has no authority.”