It's been months of ups and downs for Derby County and the club's supporters will no doubt be hoping that their future can be sorted out sooner rather than later.
There have been plenty of false dawns and reported bids for the Rams already but according to a report from journalist Jamie Gardner today, there has been a formal offer lodged to try and take over the side from Carlisle Capital.
Wayne Rooney has played his part in steadying the ship on the field for Derby, with the side putting in some incredible performances and picking up some superb wins. Even with 21 points taken from them for being in administration, they have climbed off the bottom of the table and are not too far from safety.
The issues with the club continue to lie off the field then. With all the ongoing money issues and now some player sales, Rams' supporters will be hoping that things change for the better soon - and Carlisle Capital could step in with this offer and finally provide them with new ownership.
If they can wrap up a deal for the club, then it would mean that they would exit administration and all of their off-field issues could finally be put to bed. There are still potentially upcoming battles for any new owner because of claims from Middlesbrough and Wycombe but as the report states, Carlisle Capital are fully aware of it and are still lodging their bid.
If a deal can be done, then Derby fans would be delighted that an end can be put to what has been a dark time at Pride Park.
The Verdict
Derby County have been through hell when it comes to off the field issues and they'll be eager to put it all behind them as soon as they can.
They won't want to get too carried away, as they've seen bids get placed before and potential owners come forward. They certainly won't want to count their eggs before they have hatched but they'll be desperate for a deal to be done to finally allow them to focus on just the football.
The football itself has been solid and Wayne Rooney is doing a tremendous job in getting his side points. If they didn't face points deductions they would even have been looking at the top half of the table rather than the bottom.
If they can just solve their issues in terms of ownership, then things could finally start to look up for Derby and they can focus on potentially pushing for the top flight again.