WATCH: Minister says local group preparing bid to keep Whitecaps in Vancouver

VICTORIA — BC Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon has revealed that a local group has reached out to his office and is actively preparing a bid to purchase the Vancouver Whitecaps with the goal of keeping the club in the city.

Kahlon confirmed that the group has been organizing for several weeks and is currently conducting due diligence.

“There’s a bid group that’s interested, and they’re doing their due diligence, and they’ll be sharing that publicly very soon,” Kahlon told reporters in Victoria on Wednesday.

He added that the group has contacted his office to share that they are putting a bid together, describing the development as positive.

“The bid so far seems interesting," he noted. "It seems like it’s grounded in a plan to keep the team here,” the minister stated.

Kahlon noted he has heard significant interest from local business leaders and Whitecaps fans who want the club to remain in Vancouver.

"We don't have the details of what the bid is right now," he added, "other than there's a group of business leaders that have come together to try to keep the team here."

The comments come as uncertainty continues around the Whitecaps’ future. Last week, reports surfaced that Major League Soccer owners had discussed the possibility of relocating the club, with Las Vegas identified as a leading candidate. The Whitecaps have been seeking a local successor for more than 18 months.

Kahlon did not name the group or provide further details on the proposal.