Winkelman has considered two serious bids for MK Dons in five years

Pete Winkelman admitted to having talks on two occasions about potentially selling MK Dons since their promotion to the Championship.

The chairman, who brought the club to Milton Keynes after buying Wimbledon in the early 2000s, said ultimately the deals fell through but given their magnitudes, he had to take them seriously.

Winkelman, who has come under fire from some quarters for a perceived lack of investment and unwillingness to accept financial support from outside investors, said the club's current financial model will help them to the Championship, but admitted Dons would need further investment to help them progress into the top flight.

And that deal, believed to have been with energy drinks firm Red Bull, almost came to fruition but came up short in the end.

Winkelman said: "I've had probably two serious offers in the last five years, but I get calls every week. We've taken two offers seriously, and if one of them would have come off, we'd have done it. It would have been obviously the right thing to do. I've seen loads of clubs taken over by people that don't work out.

"I want this club in the Premier League, fighting like Leicester are. But it's our baby. We brought a club to Milton Keynes and got a lot of flack for it in the process. We have to make sure in the future, it is looked after in the right way and we can all believe in this future together.

"One day, we'll have to have that extra investment to get to the Premier League because our current business model takes us to the Championship, but not competing on a level playing field.

"But that was before coronavirus. I think we'll come out as one of the stronger teams as a result of this. It will only be done if it's the right deal, in the right way that is obviously the right deal to do."

Winkelman also said a strong deal for the naming rights to Stadium MK has never come to fruition either, adding: "We've had a couple of people we've looked at, but I want a load of money for the naming rights! I believe we've got one of the best stadiums in the country, and that's why we want a really big naming rights deal. But a third division club and big naming rights don't go together. Until we're in the right division, I don't want to consider that.

"Once you name it, it's always named really. People always remember the first one. I want to do a deal that makes a financial difference and helps us get better players."