Mike Ashley and Sheffield United figure join Derby County takeover race - John Textor could face competition | OneFootball

The man behind Sheffield United's AI revolution and the former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley could be circling in the race to buy Derby County.

The man behind Sheffield United's move towards an AI-driven recruitment model and the former Newcastle United owner could be joining John Textor in the race to buy Derby County.

Two defeats in their last three league matches may have stalled Derby County's recent push towards the Championship play-off places, but that doesn't seem likely to stem the takeover talk that has started to engulf the club.

Derby have been linked to a possible sale or outside investment for some time, and the interest of multi-club proponent John Textor has already been reported, but two new names have now been linked with a possible move for the club.

One of those is Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner who's recently also been connected with a bid for Sheffield Wednesday, but the other is the professional gambler who was behind Sheffield United's move towards an AI-driven recruitment model during the summer.

James Bord and Mike Ashley are looking for a new club, and Derby County are on their radars

Reporting on Patreon on Sunday morning, journalist Alan Nixon has confirmed that James Bord could be interested in launching a bid to buy Derby County.

Bord, who made his millions as a professional gambler, is reported to have been frustrated in his attempts to bring an AI-generated model to fruition at Sheffield United, and has turned his attention to Pride Park instead.

Nixon reports that it was Bord's interest in Sheffield Wednesday which caused the rumours that a merger between the two Sheffield clubs was being considered, and that he's now looking for backers for a potential bid for Derby County.

Nixon also reports that Bord isn't the only name that could be challenging John Textor in the race to buy the Rams. He also reports that Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner who is believed to have made a bid for Sheffield Wednesday, could also be considering making a move for Derby.

Ashley, of course, was reportedly interested in purchasing the Rams in 2022 prior to the takeover of local businessman and current owner David Clowes.

But Nixon also warns that the price may be too high for Ashley, whose £20 million bid for Wednesday is expected to be too low to result in him taking control at Hillsborough.

Bord, Ashley and Textor interest indicates that Derby County will have multiple suitors

Originally from Stanmore in Middlesex, James Bord made his first millions from professional gambling before shifting his focus to data analysis, where, according to a report in The Sun in May 2025, "his companies and ideas have thrived in several fields".

But with Alan Nixon reporting that Bord has been "frustrated in his efforts to bring in AI scouting" at Bramall Lane, an attempt to buy Derby County would likely see him attempt that model at Pride Park instead. Although results on the pitch at Sheffield United have improved and the team is now pulling clear of the bottom three, there's little to suggest that their summer recruitment in the transfer market was the sort of success for which the club would have been hoping.

What's clear is that there is likely to be significant interest in the Rams, with Mike Ashley also circling. Ashley has been a divisive figure in the past, but his £20 million bid for Sheffield Wednesday was rejected as being too low, and this calls into question whether any bid that he makes for Derby would match John Textor or James Bord's.

According to Nixon, Derby are valued at around £60 million and it only remains to be seen whether anybody is prepared to match that valuation in order to take over the East Midlands outfit.

But what can be said with a degree of certainty is that there is likely to be a considerable amount of interest in buying Derby County. As with Wednesday, Derby - who were the champions of England in 1972 and 1975, and who were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888 - represent a piece of English football heritage, as well as offering speculators the possibility of a route into the riches of the Premier League.