DEFUNCT LINKEDIN ACCOUNT THAT LED TO ALONSO

A NOW defunct LinkedIn account claiming to belong to the president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee was used to put credible football people in touch with would-be Derby County owner Erik Alonso. The Spaniard’s deal to buy the Championship club has stalled, with the 29-year-old unable to provide the EFL with proof of funds. Sportsmail has now been shown a series of messages claiming to be from Indonesian entrepreneur and Olympics chief Raja Sapta Oktohari, contacting people within the game who could potentially help with the sourcing of funds for Alonso. The LinkedIn page stated Oktohari was a shareholder of Italian club Inter Milan. In messages, he said he was an ‘investor in football clubs’. But when asked by one business person if he and Oktohari could have a conversation over the phone, the user replied that they were ‘busy’ and instead gave the number of ‘my partner Erik Alonso’. Oktohari has since denied reports suggesting he is involved in Alonso’s attempt to buy Derby. He said last month: ‘The news is not true. I do know Erik Alonso. I knew him from boxing, not football. I don’t know what his motive is.’ One person who became involved in Alonso’s takeover attempt now believes they have been misled and has been unable to contact Oktohari to verify the original messages because the account no longer exists. Meanwhile, it is understood the EFL owners and directors test has ground to a halt after Alonso failed to provide proof of funds. One source said: ‘The ball is in his court.’ However, there are doubts at the EFL over the credibility of the takeover. Derby owner Mel Morris has also been alerted to such concerns and has been warned that he is wasting his time. There is surprise among some that Morris has not publicly clarified the situation, especially as Alonso continues to post on social media as if the deal is a formality. Sportsmail reported last week that the Spaniard attempted to secure a £20million loan with US lenders, guaranteed against Pride Park and other club assets. He denies this. Alonso says he believes the messages sent on LinkedIn were from Oktohari.