Bradford City could be the subject of an attempted takeover bid after it was reported that an Asian group have identified the League One club as a potential target.

The Bantams have enjoyed a quick rise in the past few years from a mid-table club languishing in League Two to a top challenger for promotion into the Championship, with Michael Duff’s side still in the playoff mix as the season approaches the festive period.

Group With Previous EFL Links Emerges

Currently owned by German businessman Stefan Rupp, the club has seen some extra investment in recent years, most notably with a refresh of the seating and branding in and around Valley Parade.

However, according to Alan Nixon through his Patreon channel, a group from Thailand could now gear up to try and convince Rupp to sell and is considering launching an official bid for the Yorkshire side.

It is believed that the group have previously eyed buying into the English pyramid, but has not yet found an opportunity to do so. The Telegraph and Argus’ Simon Parker has also clarified that these potential new backers have ties to the former owners of Oxford United.

Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth was in charge at the Kassam Stadium between 2018 and 2022, before handing his controlling stake over to Indonesian pair Erick Thohir and Anindya Bakrie and resigning as a director of the club in September of this year.

Waiting Game For New Consortium

While news of a financial takeover for Bradford City could spell some positive action as they hope to continue to climb the table, the fans will be rightfully wary of where any change in ownership could lead.

The Bantams are a club that have been on the brink of extinction in the past, and until this consortium comes out in public and reveals themselves and their business interests, this is a move which will not have the backing of the fanbase.

Stefan Rupp has previously stated in an interview that he is still fully invested in his ownership of the club after finally winning back favour with the supporters following his disastrous co-ownership with Edin Rahic, which could mean this potential move is a non-starter.

Until then, with the interest at a very formative stage as it stands, there will have to be a lot of waiting before some new information comes out around who could be the prospective new leaders at Bradford City.