Buyers waiting on Rams staying up

POTENTIAL investors are waiting to make sure Derby County are playing Championship football next season before ramping up a takeover bid, according to reports.

The Sun has claimed in February that a group of American investors are interested in buying out Mel Morris and have been given a tour of the club’s facilities.

Now EFL reporter Alan Nixon says that the consortium is holding fire while the season plays out.

He wrote on social media: “American bidder still keen but wants to be sure Rams stay up.

Hard to agree a buy out fee until that is settled.”

Derby were 19th and eight points clear of the bottom three with seven games to play going into today’s match away to Reading, although third-bottom Rotherham United have four games in hand.

The club announced in November that a deal had been agreed “in principle” to sell to Derventio Holdings (UK) Limited, whose ultimate controlling entity is Bin Zayed International LLC, owned by Sheikh Khaled Zayed Bin Saquer Zayed Al Nayhan.

But, after much delay, it hit a brick wall and the Derby Telegraph understands three other parties are also interested in purchasing the club.

Erik Alonso, a Spanish businessman who has been linked with Sheffield Wednesday, is believed to be one of them.

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said on TalkSport recently: “Morris has taken them in many directions, but very few of them have hurt Derby.

“So, with the best will in the world, while he is still there it is probably hurting him more than it is Derby.

“The guy has made hundreds of millions of pounds in various businesses and sometimes deals do not get completed.

“With due respect, you do a deal and act in good faith and sometimes when it comes to the business end of a transaction the circumstances have changed.

“Ultimately, the only person who can answer that as to why this deal has unwound is Mel and he wants to attend to other things right now in terms of putting the wheels back on Derby full-stop, I suspect.”