Dundalk's owners insist that "no deal has been agreed" with any investors amid speculation that Hull City were on the brink of taking a controlling stake in the club.
Hull City manager Liam Rosenior yesterday told the BBC that the Championship club were in talks to take over at Oriel Park.
The comments followed reports in Louth newspaper The Argus that Hull City were "closing in" on a takeover deal.
However, Dundalk's co-owners, Sean O'Connor, Alan Clarke (of STAT Sports) and Andy Connolly (of FastFix) released a statement early this afternoon saying that they remain in talks with three different groups of potential investors and that no deal had been agreed.
The trio insisted they were not eager to sell the club, however they were interested in seeking out partners to help them in their aims of combining success on the pitch with much-needed investment in the Oriel Park infrastructure.
"The club has not, as was stated in the media, been 'offered around to interested parties'," the statement read.
"Such comments give the impression that we are desperately trying to sell the club. The truth is that not only are we not desperate to sell the club, but we are not trying to sell the club at all. The club is financially stable, we are progressing, we have qualified for Europe, and this is only the start of our second season.
"However, we need to be honest about our limitations. We will need partners if we wish to achieve our goal of maintaining a strong team on the pitch while simultaneously modernising Oriel Park.
The owners say in the last 15 months they have been approached by 10 potential investors.
"We have always maintained that the future development of Dundalk Football Club is much more important than our personal ownership of the club. It would be very narrow minded of us, as an ownership group, not to explore any opportunity to help improve the support we can give our manager and to begin the process of making ground improvements."
While they are in discussions with three potential investors, the owners insist "absolutely nothing has been agreed or finalised".
"An agreement may be reached within days, it may take several more weeks or months, or may not happen at all. This is a very unpredictable business."
"If it's in the best interest of Dundalk, and it’s in the best interest of us as a football club, which I’m sure it is, I think it’s a great idea and it’s something I completely support." - Liam Rosenior
Hull boss Rosenior said on Thursday that the club were in advanced talks with Dundalk, adding that he completely supported the proposal.
"I think it's massive. I think the top clubs are doing it, Manchester City, a club I know really well, Brighton are doing it. It’s a really good idea and I think it shows the ambition of this football club, where we want to get to.
"So if it’s in the best interest of Dundalk, and it’s in the best interest of us as a football club, which I’m sure it is, I think it’s a great idea and it’s something I completely support."
Hull City, who are currently owned by Turkish media mogul Acun Ilicali, have been been in discussion with Dundalk since before Christmas.
Ilicali has publically stated his desire "to buy another team that can help us to improve our young talents.
"If I can manage this, I want to buy a team that will help our young guys, plus some more young guys in a proper league with tough games. This is another dream of mine and I am trying to do that. I hope we can do it."
Dundalk, the dominant club in the League of Ireland in the 2010s, began their 2023 Premier Division campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to UCD and take on Bohemians in Dalymount Park this evening.
