Derby County offered Mel Morris warning amid Turki Alalshikh links | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit has given his verdict on the latest links to investment from Turki Alalshikh

Derby County will be aiming to secure another top eight finish in the Championship in 2026/27.

John Eustace’s side finished eighth last season, just four points adrift of the play-off places, but the competition is now expanding to include two more teams.

The Rams have already added Bobby Clark to the squad on a permanent basis following his loan spell last season.

But their other transfer business includes the arrivals of Charlie Taylor and Filip Bilbija, who both joined as free agents.

The Championship side have until 1 September to complete any remaining transfers, but it remains to be seen how much the club have available to spend.

It’s also been reported by the Telegraph that Turki Alalshikh is closing in on an investment into Derby, which could impact their plans for the final weeks of the window.

Turki Alalshikh investment claim amid Derby rumours

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When asked how he feels about the latest links to investment from Alashikh, FLW’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward claimed that he’s still sceptical about a deal going through because it’s been rumoured a number of times before without going anywhere.

However, he’s ultimately okay with whatever decision owner David Clowes comes to, as he trusts the chairman to make the right decision for the future of the club, even if more investment is needed.

“They’re exciting times, but also I’m a little bit sceptical,” Woodward told Football League World.

“This has been going on for a long time now, and I’ll believe it when I see it.

“We definitely do need some investment, if we want to push on and try and compete with the top teams in the league and get into the Premier League.

“That said, it doesn’t guarantee you that you’re going to get success just because someone comes in with more money.

“You’ve still got to be careful how you spend it, and as we’ve learned the hard way chucking money at it doesn’t always work.

“So, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if it doesn’t go through and David Clowes stays in charge, and does things sensibly and sustainably because it’s worked over the last couple of seasons.”

Derby must avoid Mel Morris 2.0 situation

Woodward is keen for Derby to avoid a similar situation to the one they endured under previous owner Mel Morris where they ended up in administration, so would be fine for everything to stay as it is under Clowes.

“I fully trust David Clowes though, and if he feels this investment helps move the club forward then I’m all for it,” he continued.

“However, if he doesn’t feel it’s right and it doesn’t happen then, again, I’m more than happy to see David Clowes stay at the top and continue to grow the club sensibly.

“Because we’ve certainly been through tough times, which I don’t need to go into, but he’s come in and stabilised the club in the last few years, and I’d rather be patient and do things the right way than go back to how we were under Mel Morris.”

Derby went into administration during 2021/22, and were eventually taken over by Clowes in the summer of 2022.

The local businessman has overseen the club’s return to the Championship, with Paul Warne guiding the Rams to promotion in 2024.

Derby finished 19th in their first season back in the second division before coming eighth under Eustace in 2025/26.

And now they could be set for fresh investment from Alalshikh, although it remains to be seen what the cost of any takeover deal will cost.

The EFL have reportedly given their approval for the process to continue, with the Independent Football Regulator yet to give their judgement.

If a deal is agreed in the next few weeks, then it could allow for fresh investment in the first team squad before the market shuts on 1 September.

Keeping David Clowes on board should be essential for Derby

Clowes has been instrumental in turning things around at Derby, and there’s no knowing where the club would now be without him.

So keeping him on board should be the goal of any potential investment into the Championship side, as he clearly knows what he’s doing.

If the Rams are going to compete with the top clubs at this level, and earn promotion to the Premier League, then they need to be able to compete financially.

The new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules also means that clubs must grow organically, so the opportunity to expand quickly under Alalshikh could be quite limited, which offers a mild warning for fans expecting big overnight changes.