POTENTIAL new buyer Gary Dickenson says he will need enough time to complete due diligence before taking over York City Knights - a process that could take days, weeks or even months.

Current chairman John Guildford announced in a statement posted on the club website that he was handing over the League One outfit to Dickenson, subject to legal formalities and approval from the Rugby Football League, which "should be completed in the next few days".

Guildford stated he would hand it on “as a virtually debt free going concern”, allowing the team to continue their quest for promotion this season.

However, Dickenson said there was "no firm deal in place", and the timescale for one to go through is now unclear.

Dickenson suggested it might need Guildford to keep the reins even until the end of the season.

The squad were told last Thursday night by Guildford that they were free agents, but they have so far stuck together and trained as normal last night.

They are planning to travel to France on Friday for Saturday's Super 8s game against leaders Toulouse Olympique, even though it remains unclear if that game will go ahead.

Dickenson said: "We have to complete all our due diligence. I'm not going into something without checking everything out. It will take time to get through everything with the club, City of York Council and the RFL in order to finalise things.

"We're working hard and there's lots going on behind the scenes but we're some way off just yet.

"There's good dialogue between myself, John and the RFL. But there is no firm deal in place, just agreements in principle that if everything balances out we will do something."

On the timescale he added: "You don't buy a house in just a couple of days. We're hoping that John will keep the Knights going, possibly for the rest of this season, until the due diligence process can be completed in order to go ahead with the deal."

The Press website revealed on Monday that Dickenson - who joined the Knights board in January 2015 but resigned two and a half months later - had held “fruitful” talks with both Guildford and the RFL with a view to a takeover. Then came Guildford's announcement that he was handing over the club, subject to contracts.

The RFL have yet to comment.

York City’s owners, JM Packaging, remain interested in running the city’s professional rugby league club, while The Press understands another unnamed businessman had likewise shown an interest in getting involved.

Dickenson has not ruled out talks with any interested parties.

Guildford and the Knights board had announced last Thursday that they were to close the club, once obligations had been fulfilled, due to issues with the groundshare with York City at Bootham Crescent and in the planned new community stadium. Their statement did not say what those obligations were.

It followed the calling off of the Knights’ opening Super 8s game against Doncaster last Sunday, due to Bootham Crescent not being available that day.

Directors Neil Jennings and Dave Baldwin resigned from the board in the wake of that decision.

Guildford's statement on the club website said: “As the owner of York City Knights since 2002 I wish to announce the handing over of the club, subject to contracts to Gary Dickenson Cfast Ltd as a virtually debt free going concern that will allow the club to continue the season and compete in the Super 8s to hopefully gain promotion to play in the RL Championship next season."

It later added: "I have done as much as I could to sustain professional rugby league in York and the club is handed over on a much firmer financial footing, despite the difficulties of the last two seasons, than it was in 2002 when I took control. The deal now just needs the legal formalities completing and the RFL approval, which should be completed in the next few days."