CRAWLEY Town supporters have been urged to be patient as a takeover deal is finalised.

The Argus exclusively revealed on Saturday morning that an overseas consortium were in advanced talks to buy the cash-strapped League Two club.

Chief executive Michael Dunford has since confirmed an end to Crawley’s three year search for new owners is “very close” to being realised.

The Argus understands that the details of the sale have been agreed with a group from Turkey who intend to replace the entire board and bring in their own players from overseas to improve the squad.

Reds are in desperate need of an injection of finances after losing eight of their last 11 games to slip to 17th in League Two but Dunford insists the proper checks must take place to verify the suitability of the prospective new owners.

Dunford said: “This deal has been negotiated since October and is very close to completion. The supporters won’t like the uncertainty but it is going to be a few weeks yet as it has to be sanctioned by the Football League.

“We’ve seen what has happened at Leeds (where owner Massimo Cellino has twice been disqualified for tax reasons in his native Italy) so we are making sure everything is done properly and that takes time.

“The board has always said they would only sell to people who have the best interests of the club at heart but we are confident the potential buyers will be able to prove that satisfactorily.

“Once that is done they will be able to give their vision for the football club but until then both parties are bound by a confidentiality agreement. Hopefully it is exciting times for the club but we would ask people to be patient.”

Crawley were put up for sale in March 2013 when Thailand-based benefactor Paul Hayward decided to stop pumping in the kind of sums which had taken the club from non-league to League One along with two consecutive runs to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Fortunes on the pitch have suffered since with Reds being relegated last season and now struggling in the bottom half of League Two with a squad badly in need of reinforcements.

Dunford added: “It will be a new era and hopefully we can all look forward to the club’s fortunes improving on the field as that is what matters.

“All we want and all the new owners want is to see this football club prosper but that is extremely difficult on the crowds we get. There is no getting away from how difficult it is with the lack of support and that will be the same challenge for the new owners.

“We have been massively lucky to have a benefactor who has put so much money into the club. He cares passionately about the football club but sometimes you need fresh impetus.”