Former Rangers director Donald Muir is no longer involved in a potential deal to take control of Championship side Birmingham City, according to Daily Mirror journalist James Nursey.
Muir was approached by Keith Harris regarding a potential £32m buy-out of the West Midlands outfit - but in this latest update - he is now thought to have distanced himself from this takeover talk.
That could put former footballer Maxi Lopez and his team in pole position to purchase Lee Bowyer's side, with the Argentine travelling to St Andrew's earlier this month to watch Blues in action.
This fuelled takeover talk further, with clear off-field unhappiness surrounding current owners Birmingham Sports Holding Limited (BSHL) and this anger was made loud and clear way before their last game of the 2021/22 campaign, though their pitch invasion following that match grabbed the headlines.
Their time in charge of the club may not be over for a couple of years though if Lopez gets his way, with the 38-year-old and his team wanting two years of managing the club before considering a potential purchase.
According to journalist Nursey, they are still interested in this agreement with a real chance they will purchase the second-tier outfit if they are successful during that two-year period.
The Verdict:
Many Birmingham supporters will want as many names in the frame as possible, not just to give them a bigger chance of being sold, but also increase the chances of the club being sold to the right candidate.
The West Midlands side's fanbase needs something to shout about again after years of disappointment - because even Bowyer and Craig Gardner's successful recruitment has failed to cover over the cracks at St Andrew's.
More communication is needed with the supporters but at this point, BSHL's position is untenable with many supporters wanting them to sell up as quickly as possible after years of underachievement.
Getting the right owners in will bring many fans back to St Andrew's and that should help to give the players a lift - because they certainly have the young players to be a real success in the future and need the right owner/consortium at the helm to guide the club in the right direction.
The new owners' first step has to be getting their Category One academy status back - because the fact they have lost it is unforgivable. How successful their academy is will shape the club in the coming years.