Derby County takeover collapses after Lion Sport runs out of time

The proposed takeover of a majority stake in Derby County by Lion Sport, a company linked to Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh, has been abandoned despite receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.

The club said it had been informed that Lion Sport no longer wished to continue with the acquisition, bringing to an end several months of negotiations that had reached an advanced stage.

Derby County confirmed the proposed deal had been approved by both the Independent Football Regulator and the English Football League. The club received notification of those approvals last week, leading to expectations that a change of ownership was close to being formally completed.

However, shortly after the regulatory process concluded, Lion Sport told Derby it did not want to proceed.

Derby has now confirmed that talks over the sale of a controlling interest to Lion Sport will not continue. The club is no longer available for sale and will remain under the ownership and financial backing of Clowes Developments.

The proposed investment had attracted considerable interest in England, with hopes that a new owner could provide Derby with substantial financial backing. That, in turn, was expected to help strengthen the squad and support the club’s bid to return to the Premier League.

Alalshikh explains decision

Following Derby’s announcement, Alalshikh posted a statement on X explaining why the company had withdrawn from the takeover.

He thanked the club’s management and everyone involved in the negotiations, but said the length of the regulatory process had consumed too much time. By the time approval was secured, he said, there was not enough time remaining to prepare the club and team properly for the season.

“I would like to thank everyone at Derby County Football Club, and everyone who has been involved in this process, for their hard work over the past few months,” said Alalshikh.

He said the investors had understood from the outset that the Independent Football Regulator’s procedures would take time and stressed that they fully respected the importance of those checks. However, the start of the season had changed the circumstances surrounding the proposed deal.

“We understood that the Independent Football Regulator’s procedures take time, and we fully respect the importance of that, but unfortunately, with the season already under way, there was no longer enough time for us to prepare the team or the club for the upcoming season,” he added.

The explanation indicates that timing was the main reason for the change in direction. The investors concluded that it would no longer be possible to implement their plans in the way originally intended before the beginning of the campaign.

Alalshikh did not completely rule out further developments in the future and said contact with Derby County would continue.

“After careful consideration, we do not believe it is right to proceed at this time without the necessary preparations in place, but we will remain in contact with the club and see what may happen in the future,” he said.

The proposed takeover has therefore ended for now, despite progressing through the regulatory process and securing approval from the relevant authorities. Alalshikh’s comments leave open the possibility of renewed discussions, although Derby County has made clear that it will continue under the ownership of Clowes Developments.