Simon Jordan reacts to Turki Alalshikh, Derby County investment talk | OneFootball

Simon Jordan has reacted to news that Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh could be about to invest in Derby County.

Derby County are the subject of interest from Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh, in a move that could transform the spending power of the Championship club.

All connected to the Rams are indebted to current owner David Clowes, after the local businessman and lifelong fan rescued the club when they were on the brink in 2022.

Since then, Derby have made major progress, both on the pitch and in how they operate as a club, with John Eustace’s side having just finished 8th in the Championship.

So, the next step is to try and take Derby back to the Premier League, but Clowes has admitted in the past that he may not have the resources to compete with some of the bigger hitters at this level.

Simon Jordan reacts to Turki Alalshikh, Derby County investment news

However, that would change if Alalshikh got involved, as the Saudi government official has enormous wealth, and there would be an expectation that he would try to make Derby a force.

Therefore, many fans were excited when reports emerged this week stating he was in advanced talks to invest in the club, although it’s unclear over the exact details of the deal.

Yet, speaking on TalkSPORT, ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, who knows Alalshikh due to the work he has done in boxing, suggested that nothing is imminent despite the recent claims.

“I think it's a long way away. I think he has an interest in football, and he's interested in making sure that people are aware of his interest in things.

“It's (football) the biggest sport in the world. The attention and the awareness and the opportunity in football is far greater than it is in boxing because the ceiling of football is far greater.”

Derby County will hope for Turki Alalshikh clarification ahead of the summer transfer window

This is an interesting development, because, as outlined above, Jordan and Alalshikh have a relationship from boxing, and he has regularly given updates about the Saudi businessman when he has been linked with clubs in the past.

So, this suggests any deal isn’t imminent, but it does seem apparent that Alalshikh is determined to get involved in English football in some capacity moving forward.

From Derby’s perspective, obviously you can’t control how quickly these things happen, as there are a lot of hurdles to overcome. But, in an ideal world, the Rams would get this sorted as soon as possible.

Firstly, now that the news is out, it could become a distraction if it drags on, but the most important aspect centres on the summer transfer window.

Clearly, if Alalshikh does provide investment into the club, it’s going to change the budget that Eustace and the recruitment team can work with, and they will have already drawn up a list of targets that they want to bring in ahead of pre-season.

Nevertheless, work will still be going on in the background, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out, and whether Alalshikh does get involved with Derby, as it would be a deal that could have a huge impact on the club, and potentially the Championship, going into the 2026/27 campaign.