Prospective Crawley Town owner Ziya Eren eyes Championship football

Crawley Town, who are 16th in League Two, were first put up for sale in March 2013

Turkish businessman Ziya Eren hopes to take Crawley Town to the Championship within eight to 10 years once he completes his takeover of the club.

Eren has been in negotiations to buy the Reds since October and hopes to conclude a deal within the next week.

In a statement issued to BBC Sussex, Eren described Crawley as a club with "a long history" and "huge potential".

"The prospect of making this club fulfil its potential is an exciting challenge," he added.

Eren, who is also involved in football in his homeland, was in the stands at the Checkatrade.com Stadium on Saturday as Crawley drew against Plymouth in League Two.

"It has always been a desire to apply my football philosophy in England, the home of football," he added.

"Over the past year, I have actively sought the right club. When we heard of the prospect of Crawley, I knew immediately it was the right choice."