Saudi billionaire eyed for Leicester City takeover talks after Derby County collapse | OneFootball

The Saudi boxing tycoon has targeted several EFL clubs for a takeover in recent times

Saudi Arabian boxing tycoon, Turki Alalshikh, has reportedly entered the frame for potential takeover talks at Leicester City, just weeks after seeing a high-profile attempt to plug investment into Derby County collapse.

That is according to talkSPORT, with the Foxes' current ownership group, King Power, setting out a rather staggering valuation of the East Midlands club after its recent fall from grace, which saw them relegated in back-to-back seasons from the Premier League to League One.

It hasn't been a strong start to what is just Leicester's second-ever campaign of third tier football either, with newly-appointed head coach Russell Martin already feeling the heat from sections of the fanbase after just one win from the opening five league matches of the 2026/27 season.

City's problems both on and off the pitch have been well-documented in recent times, with a main aspect behind their double-relegation being a six-point deduction which was imposed by the EFL in February in relation to the breaching of PSR regulations during their 2023/24 Championship-winning term.

Given what is now a fractured relationship between themselves and supporters, it is perhaps no surprise that King Power are looking to sell up as soon as possible, although involvement with Alalshikh could certainly raise eyebrows in its own right.

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With Leicester's current owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, as well as other board members at the King Power Stadium under increasing fan pressure, it was reported in July that King Power were looking to recoup as much as £222m in a potential sale.

The Leicester higher-ups have joined forces with American investment firm, Citigroup, to form an eight-page dossier outlining the club's biggest assets, as well as its history and fanbase, to potential new investors.

It was later revealed that prospective bidders, which includes Scottish-Indian businessman, Neil Lal, have until Monday, September 14th to set out their intentions on this particular front.

And with said deadline now falling the other side of Leicester's upcoming clash with Stockport County at Edgeley Park, it has been claimed that Alalshikh has been sounded out as a potential investor, just over a month after his pursuit of the Rams fell flat despite being initially ratified by the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator.

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Alalshikh revealed that the reason behind his failed takeover across the East Midlands at Pride Park was due to a lack of preparation time for the Championship season, whilst he had also been linked with prior moves for Bristol City, Millwall and Southampton.

Therefore, mixed reactions have surfaced over the news that the £2.08bn-valued 45-year-old could potentially invest in the Foxes.

"Time to become an oil club!!," said one Leicester supporter on social media.

"Turki Alalshikh went to Spain in a Lamborghini…," wrote another fan who was clearly enthusiastic about such developments.

However, not all are clearly on board, with another fan posting the simple message of: "No thanks."

saying: "God help you."

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Alalshikh's recent developments will certainly add plenty of intrigue to this takeover saga, which is still one that Leicester will hope to resolve ASAP regardless of who eventually takes on the club's day-to-day running.

Despite making some rather standout additions for League One level, such as Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns, Tommy Watson and Emil Riis, things are yet to gel for Martin and his new-look squad on the pitch, and whilst a rebuild was always likely to take time, the club's stature means pressure will always be on the Foxes for as long as they find themselves in this division.

As such, if a takeover can be agreed sooner rather than later, it would allow for at least some form of positivity amongst what has been a disillusioned fanbase for some time.