The administrators involved in trying to sell Derby County are hoping to have a deal finalised with a buyer by the end of January.

The off-field issues the Rams have had are well-documented, with the club entering administration back in September, which brought a 12-point deduction automatically.

A further nine point penalty has been applied to Wayne Rooney's side, meaning they are bottom of the Championship and 19 points from safety, with relegation to the third tier seeming inevitable.

However, the only priority for all connected to Derby is sorting the long-term future of the club by getting a new owner. And, Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett provided a fresh update on the situation today.

"Derby administrators say they hope to complete the sale of the club by late January, but no single buyer has been granted exclusivity in the negotiations. They’ve secured funding for the club to continue operating at present."

American businessman Chris Kirchner is known to be very interested in doing a deal for the East Midlands outfit.

The verdict

This is not ideal for Derby fans as they would've hoped that an agreement could've been reached before the New Year, but it's clearly not to be.

In the bigger picture, it's just about securing the future of the club, so if they have to wait another few weeks or months then it doesn't really matter as long as it gets sorted.

After the rumours of a potential liquidation in the week, these comments also should reassure fans that the club is in a position to be sold without reaching that point.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.