Derby County's off-field issues continue to persist with there seemingly being no end in sight for the troubled Midlands outfit. 

A new owner is needed in order to get the club moving in the right direction again, however there has already been one too many false dawns that have left the club's supporters sitting in a world of the unknown.

The administrators who have been appointed to oversee a potential takeover recently stated that they would be imminently announcing who the preferred bidder is for the club at present.

It has also been stated by them that they hope to have a deal completed by February of next year, which means that Wayne Rooney is unlikely to have much scope at all to add to his squad this coming January.

Although the American businessman Chris Kirchner may have withdrawn his offer from the table, it has in turn prompted another interested party into taking action, as was revealed on Twitter six days ago:

This is certainly positive news indeed for the Rams and their supporters, who could potentially be moving closer to getting a deal over the line after weeks and months of frustration.

It is as yet unclear as to who these mystery bidders are but at the same time at least Derby can take solace from the fact that a negative situation has seemingly turned out for the better.

In the meantime attentions will turn back to matters on the pitch, with Rooney's side having already shown that they aren't willing to go down without a fight after incurring multiple points deductions this season.

Derby may well end up playing League One football next season but for them the most important thing will be acquiring an owner who has the club's best interests at heart as they seek to move on from this whirlwind period.