Tranmere Rovers confirms it has agreed a sale of the club to unnamed investors as it reports annual pre-tax losses of almost £3m, which was largely down to extra spending on players. Tony McDonough reports
A takeover of Wirral League Two club Tranmere Rovers appears imminent as joint owner Mark Palios confirms a deal has been agreed although not yet completed.
On Wednesday afternoon Rovers posted their accounts for the 12 months to June 30, 2025, on Companies House. They show a fall in revenues from £6m to £5.8m with pre-tax losses widening to £2.9m from £1.4m last year. Net assets totalled £14.7m, down from £16.7m.
Writing in the accounts Mark Palios, current owner of the Wirral club along with his wife Nicola Palios, said: “The decision was taken to increase the club’s playing budget by £700,000 in order to improve the team’s competitiveness in anticipation of an imminent sale of the club. As a result the group’s cash operating loss widened to £1.7m.
In January, sports website The Athletic reported that a bid from US-based investor Ascent Capital Partners had been accepted by Tranmere Rovers and was waiting for EFL approval. At the time the club said it did not comment on press speculation.
In the accounts Mr Palios said: “In autumn 2025 an exclusivity agreement was reached with new investors with the intention that they should be in place ahead of the January transfer market.
“This exclusivity agreement was extended in January 2026. While the transaction has taken longer than the desired timeline, at the date of this report, the investors have agreed the purchase of the club.
“In the event that the current party is unable to complete a takeover, the club will re-engage the numerous parties who have expressed a serious interest previously.”
In 2025 a previous bid to sell the club to investors led by President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Joe Tacopina and rapper-turned-actor A$AP Rocky, never came to fruition.
On the pitch Rovers are currently suffering a dismal run of form. A run of 10 defeats in 11 matches led to the club parting ways with manager Andy Crosby on March 4. Pete Wild has been appointed manager until the end of the season with the club is hovering just above the relegation zone.
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Despite the widening losses, Mark Palios said: “The club experienced strong revenue growth in day-to-day operations across all of ticketing, commercial, catering, retail and education, despite on pitch performance being poor.
He added this was “a testament to the staff working hard behind the scenes and the loyalty of the fan base”. Season ticket sales totalled 3,704, slightly ahead of the 3,549 sold in the previous year.