Birmingham City's protracted takeover took another twist on Sunday as it emerged a new backer has joined forces with prospective owner Paul Richardson.
Sportsmail understands Haydn Snape, a 30-year-old businessman who made his fortune in cryptocurrency, has assumed a role within the consortium in a bid to push a deal through.
In recent weeks, a fresh bid with Richardson, worth under £50million, was lodged to acquire the Championship side – who are four points off the playoffs after Saturday's 2-1 victory at Stoke City.
Richardson has been working alongside former AC Milan and Barcelona striker Maxi Lopez to take control of Birmingham for much of the year but has yet to finalise a deal.