Fresh reaction given as John Textor eyes Derby County takeover - 'it's exciting times' | OneFootball

FLW's Derby fan pundit believes that no matter the decision, Rams fans will support whatever it is that David Clowes decides

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

John Textor may have his eye on purchasing a Championship club, as he looks to add another English side to his Eagle Football Group, after selling his shares in Crystal Palace earlier this year.

Alongside a £400 million bid for Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, the American businessman has been looking at a number of second-tier sides, too, and one name that was mentioned was Derby County.

The Rams are currently in a good place regarding their owner. Many inside Pride Park herald David Clowes as a hero, after he helped save Derby from liquidation when they were in administration in 2022.

Clowes stated that the club were a week away from going bust when he spent £55 million to buy Derby, and since then, he's been happy to invest and help the club improve.

Evidently, the 56-year-old has the best interests of Derby close to his heart, and if he feels that selling to someone like John Textor would help the club move forward, then perhaps he would sanction the deal.

Because of this, Shaun Woodward, FLW's Rams fan pundit, will support whatever avenue the current owner decides to go down if a bid ends up being lodged.

Derby County fan pundit addresses John Textor, takeover rumours

With John Textor's estimated net worth being $3.4 billion, there's always going to be an air of excitement when his name gets mentioned in takeover talks with your club, and Woodward is clearly feeling that.

Being a good owner isn't all about having the money, as there has to be a willingness to see the team succeed, but the Derby fan pundit definitely believes that massive wealth helps.

"I know it's not about the money, but he is a billionaire, he's got a lot of money and a good track record, so it would be quite promising," he said.

Ultimately, though, David Clowes will be in no rush to sell Derby, given the amount of work he's put into the club over the past three years. His journey arguably isn't over, and if he wants to stay, Woodward feels that those inside Pride Park will support that decision.

"I trust David Clowes, so whatever he decides is the best for the club, the fans will fully support him," Woodward explained.

"If he feels that Textor is the man to take the club forward, then we will fully support that, too.

"He's clearly got a lot of money, so right now it may not matter due to FFP and restrictions, but in the long term it'd be good, as it gives us the option to be taken forward if we got in the Premier League.

"So, it's exciting times."

David Clowes may be in no rush to sell Derby County

Given the amount of money David Clowes spent to get Derby out of administration and save the club, he'll want to maximise the potential of the club as much as he can before selling for, hopefully, a profit.

The current owner has shown that he can back the club financially recently, too, as he dropped £5.8 million initially on Patrick Agyemang in a deal which could rise to £7.3 million.

That deal itself ranks in the top four most expensive arrivals in Derby history, so whilst John Textor could come in and use his vast wealth to improve the club both on and off the field, it seems that David Clowes isn't against doing that, either.

Plus, Derby fans already have a great relationship with the current owner, and perhaps they wouldn't want to risk losing that.

As and when Clowes does decide to move on, it's clear that he'll make sure that the club is in good hands, which can only be a positive for Derby fans.