Turki Alalshikh may already have pre-Derby County takeover sway as £6m deal nears | OneFootball

Derby County are set to sign Bobby Clark for £6 million, which could indicate some influence already from Turki Alalshikh

Derby County exceeded expectations in John Eustace's first full season in charge last year. While a play-off push would have been a long-term goal at Pride Park, not many expected it to come so soon into his reign.

The Rams' eighth-placed finish was their highest since the 2018/19 campaign, and showed the clear potential that the club has to push back towards being a Premier League club after a near 20-year exodus.

However, those ambitions won't be fully concrete until some investment is added at Pride Park. Beloved owner David Clowes saved Derby from the brink of liquidation when he bought the club back in 2022, but he hasn't shied away from his stance surrounding a sale, as he looks to help the club reach a new, better level.

Other than a blockbuster agreement for Patrick Agyemang, which could cost up to £7.3 million, Derby didn't break the bank last summer, and a lot of the successful arrivals at Pride Park this past season came in for nominal undisclosed fees or were on loan.

One of those loanees, Bobby Clark, excelled under John Eustace, contributing to seven goals in 42 league outings and earning himself a nomination for Championship Young Player of the Season.

The former RB Salzburg was expected to be one of those loan players that you fall in love with for a season before seeing them move on to bigger things, but Derby are close to securing his services permanently for £6 million, which could indicate some movement behind the scenes at Pride Park, too.

Turki Alalshikh's involvement at Derby County could be close after Bobby Clark transfer agreement

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It's an unkept secret that Saudi government official and the man behind the highly successful Riyadh Season, Turki Alalshikh, has shown some interest in investing in a Championship club, and this summer, it seems that Derby are the side he is linked with.

The Telegraph reported towards the end of May that the billionaire was in talks with the Rams over a potential investment deal and that negotiations were with the new Independant Football Regulator.

Since then, talks over what level of involvement Turki Alalshikh could have at Pride Park has been pure speculation, with hints from the man himself and updates from the club surrounding investment opportunities arising giving suggestions about the inevitability of it all.

This £6 million reported signing of Clark could be the biggest hint of all, however.

Firstly, a £6 million fee is a significant one for a Championship club who are not in receipt of Premier League parachute payments, even those who are among the promotion hopefulls.

Even if the Rams splashed a similar amount on Agyemang, the fact this deal has come so soon into the window indicates that there'll be more additions to come, and perhaps they too will have a similar price tag attribiuted to them.

But, the biggest indication of the new investment comes the fact that Clark himself feels that Derby is a good place for his long-term ambitions. Last season showed that the 21-year-old could be a top-flight player immediately elsewhere and perhaps a Premier League-standard midfielder in a few years.

His decision to potentially move back to Pride Park suggests that Derby have those Premier League ambitions in the coming years, which will surely excite Rams fans.

Derby County have laid down a marker for future deals this summer with Bobby Clark addition

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Quite a few Derby fans were resigned to the fact that Clark would likely kick on elsewhere this summer, whether that be back at Salzburg or at a different club.

The fact that they're the frontrunners for his services is a huge positive, but the fact they're set to part ways with such a significant fee this early in the window is extremely exciting when considering the other business they have to do.

John Eustace will arguably need four or five new additions this summer to replace some of the other loanees who are heading back to their parent clubs and improve the current crop of players, too.

So, to part ways with £6 million of the budget wouldn't be the wisest decision, unless there's still a significant amount still available to spend elsewhere.

It's enough to get Derby fans excitingly questioning if this means that Turki Alalshikh's involvement is already beginning, even if things haven't formally been announced yet, and whether that means more high-profiled arrivals at Pride Park before the season begins.

If all of that comes to fruition, there may be little stopping John Eustace's side from going one better in 2026/27.