A £3 million bid for the stricken Bradford Bulls has been made by a consortium of local businessmen and is expected to be considered today by the Rugby Football League.

The deal on the table is conditional on the Bulls retaining Super League status and the new buyers getting the lease back from the RFL for Odsal Stadium, though the RFL is not believed to be able to consider conditional offers for the Bulls.

The Bulls have until Friday, July 27, to find a buyer or face liquidation.

Brendan Guilfoyle, partner at The P&A Partnership and Bulls administrator, said he had received a bid for the club from the ABC consortium of local businessmen.

He said: “The consortium has made an offer that is a basis for negotiations with both the administrators and the RFL. Their offer is conditional on the RFL selling back Odsal and on the Bulls retaining their Super League status.

“The next few days are going to be critical for the club. I can’t speculate on what the outcome will be. The ABC consortium, the RFL, the administrators and professional advisers for all parties will be focused on trying to get a deal over the line.”

Someone closely linked to the bid said he did not think anyone would be interested in the Bulls without Super League guarantees and Odsal.

“These people are very interested in helping Bradford out and are not just Asian businessmen, but the general business community,” the spokesman said.

“All the design is to help Bulls and empower the Bulls. I don’t think it is in the interests of the Bulls for the stadium not to be owned by them.

“There will not be anything done for any development apart from rugby league. We can assure everybody there is no design on the land of the Bulls to be used for any type of development except rugby.

“There will be losses for three years and we are talking about two and a half to three million pounds.

“That is a lot to be philanthropic. People are throwing their money away and some generous benefactors are putting in big money to help out.

“Some of them don’t want to be named at all, they don’t need to.”

It is understood that the RFL is meeting today and is expected to decide on the points penalty for the Bulls entering administration.

The RFL had informed the consortium at a meeting last week that the governing body was unable to consider conditional offers for the Bulls