Southampton view given on Turki Alalshikh, Derby County takeover news | OneFootball

A Southampton verdict has been cast on Turki Alalshikh's imminent takeover of Derby County, with the 44-year-old previously linked with the Saints.

Derby County will be looking to build on plenty of positives from last year's league campaign, where they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.

The Rams were much-improved last season under the management of John Eustace, who is certainly taking the club in the right direction.

Derby finished eighth in the Championship table last term, and just four points adrift of sixth-placed Hull City, which will have been frustrating to take, especially after the Tigers went on to win promotion into the Premier League.

The Derby supporters will be eager to see their team kick on and challenge for promotion back into the top-flight this season. The Rams haven't been in the Premier League since the 2007/08 campaign.

There's been a significant off-field update at Derby in recent weeks, with it being reported that Turki Alalshikh is closing in on a takeover of the club, which could provide them with significant investment.

'You can see the appeal' - Verdict issued on imminent Derby takeover

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Turki Alalshikh co-founded Zuffa Boxing with UFC president Dana White, and so he's a figure that holds an eye-catching amount of value, which could be an exciting prospect for Derby County.

Alalshikh is no stranger to being linked with a takeover at an English club either, having previously eyeing a takeover of Southampton, although that failed to materialise for one reason or another.

Football League World's Southampton fan pundit, Louis Harris issued his thoughts on Alalshikh's seemingly imminent takeover of Derby County, and highlighted the potential appeal of heading to the Rams.

"Mixed feelings about that. You could see the appeal with a club like Southampton, as there's plenty of potential, and it would be similar for Derby as well.

"He does have experience with football club ownership during his time with Almeria, where I think he was fairly successful, with promotion, a new stadium, and I think he smashed through their transfer record as well."

Potential concerns raised on prospective Derby owner

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However, despite the positives that Alalshikh would bring to the club based on his previous ownership, Harris went on to question whether the 44-year-old would be able to connect with the club, as he's a well-known figure in the boxing world.

"You can't question his financial commitment, but you would probably want to question his ability to connect on a day-to-day basis within the club. He is so heavily involved in boxing, that it would take so much time away. I think you see with Southampton's current owner that he's so heavily involved on a day-to-day basis, that it shows that his intentions are good, and his heart is in the right place.

"I don't think you can get that with Turki Alalshikh."

Derby County are set to take on Lincoln City in the First Round of the EFL Cup, where they'll be confident of beating the newly-promoted second-tier side on home soil.

Then, the Rams get their 2026/27 Championship campaign underway on Saturday 15th August, as they come up against Charlton Athletic, who they beat at The Valley last term, with goals from Bobby Clark, and an own goal from Charlton's Macauley Gillesphey.