Wigan Athletic's former owners have waived their rights to repayment of a debt worth over £35m after the club fell into administration earlier this year.
The Latics owed debts of £25.3m and £10.7m respectively to previous owner Au Yeung Wai Kay's companies Next Leader Fund and Wigan Athletic Holdings.
But he has now waived his rights to to the money, in a decision hoped to help the League One club find a buyer.
A statement from joint administrators Paul Stanley, Gerald Krasner and Dean Watson of Begbies Traynor put out on Thursday said: "There has been much speculation, both on social media and elsewhere, regarding these debts and to what extent they would need to be repaid in the event of a successful sale of the club.
“We should like to clarify this matter and to now inform fans that the administrators have been in discussions with Mr Yeung, who has cooperated fully for the benefit of the club and who has agreed, in order to ensure the survival of the club and to give the administrators the best possible chance to agree a sale, to waive his rights to the repayment of the debts owed to him and to his companies.
"He has given the Administrators the powers necessary to put this into effect and to use all monies for the benefit of the club. By waiving all his rights Mr Yeung has also made it much more possible to pay the necessary 25p dividend to the creditors and thus avoid a further 15 point penalty next season."
They also said speculation that a bid for the club from Randy Frankel and Michael Kalt is "speculation", and that "no credible bid has been received".
It added: "Talks, however, are continuing with serious bidders with a view to bringing a successful sale to fruition.”
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