The Barclaycard Premiership club have five days to find a buyer pending a January 19 deadline imposed by major creditors who are owed a combined £82m (€118.6m)

With that deadline drawing ever closer, the PFA decided it was time to put the United stars in the picture, having previously dealt with the problems posed by administration at a number of Nationwide League clubs.

Deputy chief executive Mick McGuire, the PFA’s financial lawyer, and another newly-appointed executive in Richard Jobson spoke at length with the Elland Road squad after David Batty approached them.

A number of possibilities were put to the players, which includes the prospect of a deferral of wages which would temporary help to keep the club afloat.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor confirmed to The Press Association: “We are just keeping the players fully informed and keeping them in the loop.

“They were apparently excellent in their response. They want to hold the club together and they want to stay together to keep Leeds in the Premiership because they know that would be the best way for somebody to come in and save them.

“A number of options were discussed with a view to keeping the club alive and to avoid administration, with one of those options being a deferral of wages.

“The players were very responsive, which was to be expected because that’s what we have encountered at other clubs in the past.

“Sometimes people do not appreciate just what players want to do for their club in terms of staying solid and together and doing it for the fans.”

Leeds yesterday confirmed to the Stock Exchange they are in “continuing, constructive discussions with a number of parties.”

Former deputy plc chairman Allan Leighton seemingly remains a front-runner to step with a consortium understood to include billionaire Philip Green.

The Monaco-based businessman has made his fortune raising the profile of high-street stores Bhs, Burton, Top Man and Dorothy Perkins, however, it is anticipated his role – if any – will only be minor.

Lifelong fan Sheikh Abdularhan Bin Mubarak al-Khalifa claims to have held talks with potential investors in recent weeks and is optimistic of a solution, while it is understood a third, and as yet unnamed group, are also interested.

The crux to Leeds’ problem has been finding a buyer for no-one is willing to put money into a club one off the bottom of the Premiership, five points adrift of safety, and staring at the reality of losing £20-25m (€28.9-€36.2m) in revenue if relegated.

At this stage it is likely that a significant amount of cash will be injected to prop up Leeds until such time as it is determined whether the club are playing in the Premiership or First Division next season.

Another possibility is that if any investment is made it will simply be a ’take-it-or-leave-it’ offer made available to the creditors.