Finally, after the debacle of the Bin Zayed International ‘takeover’, it appears that Derby County are on track to new ownership per the club announcement across its website and social media (below):
Derby County Football Club wishes to confirm that a definitive agreement to purchase the club has been reached with No Limits Sports Limited, subject to EFL approval.
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) April 7, 2021
As the season end edges closer, it looks like much-needed stability will be introduced at Pride Park which should stand them in good stead for next season.
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Derby County – from debacle to new ownership
It was no secret that long-term owner and benefactor, Mel Morris, was looking to move on from owning Derby County and the Bin Zayed International takeover was the first vehicle for that move.
Amidst wages not being paid on time, procrastination and ever-dragging timelines, interest was lost and Derby are thought to have severed conversations with the Arab-led consortium.
That brought news of interest from an American consortium via Sun reporter Alan Nixon.
However, news today from Derby County themselves is that their new owner is looking likely to be Eric Alonso and No Limits Sports Limited.
Derby County statement as changes set
The Rams statement reads thus:
“Derby County Football Club wishes to confirm that a definitive agreement to purchase the club has been reached with No Limits Sports Limited. The transaction, which is still subject to the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test approval, is expected to close in the near future.
“As agreed with No Limits Sports there will be no further comment until the transaction is complete. This is to ensure that all of the club’s focus will be on the Championship run in.“
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Reporters comments on Derby County takeover not glowing
Both The Sun’s Alan Nixon, on Twitter (below) and The Telegraph’s John Percy have commented on the takeover news.
Nixon’s comment reveals the following – something he frames as quite strange:
Stranger than strange … No Sports Limited have two quid in their account if you check at Companies House 😳 https://t.co/HbA9F7gZYh
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) April 7, 2021
In his article announcing the news, the Telegraph’s Percy contends that there will be an understandable degree of scepticism linked with news of the takeover. He writes:
“It is fair to say there will be some scepticism over the news concerning Alonso. Firstly, because of his past association with Sheffield Wednesday and secondly, because Derby have been here before.”
Been there before or not, Derby County fans will be praying that this takeover advances beyond the strangeness that Alan Nixon attributes to it and is over quickly enough to negate the scepticism that John Percy sees linked to it.
