Bosses at struggling Bolton Wanderers say Football League officials have conditionally approved a sale of the club.
A spokesman said on Monday that directors wanted to thank all staff for their "unfaltering commitment to the cause" during an "incredibly difficult period."
The club issued a statement after a specialist judge gave the club more time to pay a £2.2 million tax bill and refused to grant a winding-up application by HM Revenue and Customs.
Registrar Clive Jones had analysed evidence at High Court hearing in London.
Mr Jones said the case would be reviewed in two weeks.
Tax authority officials had asked for Boltonwho slipped to the bottom of the Championship on Saturday after losing 2-1 at Leeds to be wound up after complaining that the club had not paid a £2.2m bill.
But a lawyer representing Bolton said "significant progress" had been made in sale plans.
"The club have received conditional approval to the transfer of ownership from the Football League," said a Bolton spokesman in the statement.
"The board would again like to thank all staff at the club for their loyalty and unfaltering commitment to the cause through this incredibly difficult period."
Owner Eddie Davies, who two weeks ago agreed to sell the club to a consortium fronted by former striker Dean Holdsworth, is confident there will no hitches in the takeover and that it will soon be pushed through.
"We said we would survive and we will survive," he told Sky Sports. "We've worked very hardus, the club and consortium to get this one over the line. There's been a lot of speculation in the local press and lot of criticism but we've worked very, very hard to do this and it will be done this week.
"We've had to go through the process. There are still I's to be dotted, T's to be crossed by the consortium, and when that's done we will do the transaction."
Davies also refuted fears that Holdsworth's Sports Shield group would not have the funds to save Wanderers, with the consortium set to invest £7.5m to see the club through until the end of the season.
"They've definitely got the funds to see it through to end of season and are currently securing funds to take them through to the end of next season," Davies added.