The sporting goods retailer has reached out to each of the major accountancy firms in the past fortnight to ask them to reconsider their stance on auditing the business, according to Sky News.

The move, which is being led by Sports Direct’s senior independent director and chair of its board audit committee Richard Bottomley, comes ahead of the controversial retailer’s annual general meeting today.

If the retail group, which also owns chains including House of Fraser and Evans Cycles, fails to appoint a replacement auditor for its current firm Grant Thornton, it will have to resort to the untested process of having an auditor appointed on its behalf by business secretary Andrea Leadsom.