Sports Direct has announced a deal which could result in the possible total acquisition of Irish retailer Heatons.
The company said it has reached agreement with a minority shareholder in Heatons, Sandra Minor, to buy her shares and a conditional agreement to buy out the remaining owners, Warrnambool, in a €47.5m deal.
Sports Direct currently owns 50% of Heatons.
Heatons has 54 shops across the island of Ireland, including 44 in the Republic. 27 of these shops incorporate a dedicated "SportsWorld" section.
"We look forward to accelerating investment into the existing store portfolio and strengthening the Heatons and Sports Direct brands across Ireland," commented Dave Forsey, the chief executive of Sports Direct.
Sports Direct was founded by billionaire UK football club owner Mike Ashley.
