The takeover deal that will finally safeguard the future of Bradford City Football Club was due to be finalised today.

Prospective owner Julian Rhodes - who is leading the £900,000 rescue package - was meeting officials at administrators Kroll to complete the final paperwork.

It is understood that scores of documents need to be signed to put in place a series of deals which have been the subject of long-running and complex negotiations.

The meetings, taking place at the Leeds offices of solicitors Walker Morris, were expected to be the final step towards the takeover being completed.

Mr Rhodes, the former chief executive of City, has already transferred the £900,000 required for the deal into the account of Walker Morris.

The deal will see a new company - known as Bradford City Football Club Limited - take over the troubled Valley Parade club from Bradford City AFC (1983) Limited, the company that is in administration.

The key part of the deal - on which Mr Rhodes and the lawyers have been working round-the-clock for several weeks - has been providing the Football League with the necessary assurances about the new company's viability. That is necessary to ensure the transfer of the share in the Football League from the old company to the newly-formed Bradford City Football Club Limited.

Other deals with a host of stakeholders including the Professional Footballers' Association and the Flamingo Land Pension Fund, which owns the Valley Parade stadium, are now believed to be in place.

Once the takeover is completed, City would no longer be constrained by the Football League rules governing a club in administration.

It would bring to an end the long-running financial saga which has involved two spells in administration and various flirtations with bankruptcy dating back to City's relegation from the Premiership in 2001.