Derby County takeover news: Turki Alalshikh advanced talks, David Clowes stance, social media hints | OneFootball

All the latest news surrounding a potential takeover at Derby County

Derby County narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs this season under John Eustace.

The Rams enjoyed an impressive rise from 19th to eighth in the table in the 46-year-old’s first full campaign in charge.

The club finished just four points adrift of Hull City in sixth, who went on to secure promotion with a win against Middlesbrough in the play-off final.

If Derby can finish in the top eight next season, then that will be enough to continue the fight for promotion beyond the regular term, with the play-offs expanding to include the top eight in 2027.

It is set to be a busy summer ahead at Pride Park, and speculation is now beginning to mount about a potential change in the ownership.

Here we look at all the latest news surrounding a possible takeover at the Derbyshire outfit…

Turki Alalshikh social media hints

The prospect of Turki Alalshikh taking over at Derby first emerged when the Saudi Arabian was spotted following a number of pages related to the club on social media.

He has previously been linked with the takeover of a number of Championship clubs, including Millwall and Bristol City.

And it was reported by the Second Tier podcast that he followed several accounts on the platform X, all of which related to the Rams.

This offered the first hint that he could be interested in a deal with owner David Clowes.

He followed this up by later posting on X: “Derby,” followed by a shrug emoji, further suggesting a link between himself and the club.

David Clowes’ takeover message

David Clowes has made it clear his stance on the prospect of outside investment into the club, having been owner of Derby since the summer of 2022.

He claimed at the Derby County Supporters’ Board meeting that he would be open to a deal with somebody that had the clear financial power to help the Rams fight for promotion to the Premier League.

"Any new investor would need to have the financial ability to accelerate the club's progress towards its Premier League ambition,” said Clowes.

The 57-year-old has overseen Derby’s rise from League One to eighth in the Championship since taking over the club.

He bought the Rams four years ago, taking them out of administration in the process after significant financial issues under Mel Morris.

Derby County takeover claim

When asked about the prospect of Alalshikh taking over at Pride Park, FLW’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward claimed that he is sceptical of a deal, and that he’ll believe it when he actually sees it.

He is unsure whether the Saudi Arabian would be the right fit for the club, claiming that right now he is happy with the ownership structure remaining how it is under Clowes due to their recent rise up the Championship table.

"I’ll believe this when I see it,” Woodward told Football League World.

“I think it could just be really clever marketing by his team to get him some traction on social media.

“He’s been linked with other clubs which hasn’t materialised, and while it would be good to have an owner who has the money to move the club forward in some ways.

“I think I would personally rather stay with someone like David Clowes, who genuinely cares about the club, the fans and the city.

“He’s doing something that’s sustainable, he’s building slowly, so we’re not over-spending.

“And I would rather stay as we are now if I’m totally honest, even if it means it’s going to take us a bit more time to get to where we want to be.

“Not saying it wouldn’t be great to have someone in the club with a lot of money, and I do believe if David Clowes was to sell to this gentleman then he would do it because he feels he’s the right person to take us forward.

“So I would fully trust David Clowes if he did sell.

“But personally, I would rather stay with what we have and build sustainably and in the right way, so we never go back to where we were a few years ago.”

Turki Alalshikh’s talks with David Clowes

It has been reported by The Telegraph that Alalshikh is in advanced talks with Clowes over potential investment in Derby.

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is understood to be undergoing checks on the boxing promoter before any possible deal is concluded.

It remains unclear whether he is seeking a full takeover, or if Clowes will only sell a stake in the Championship side.

The current owner has claimed that he would like to remain chairman even if a majority sale goes through, and these talks could now have a major impact on the Rams’ summer transfer plans.