It is understood that JD Sports and Sports Direct are two of at least four bidders who have expressed interest in buying footwear retailer Office, according to Sky News.

Office is seeking fresh funding to weather the coronavirus crisis, and its current owner Truworths International is also understood to be mulling a pre-pack administration in order to retake control of parts of the business.

The rival prospective bids come shortly after JD Sports and Sports Direct clashed over the former’s ambitions to acquire struggling footwear chain Footasylum.