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Derby County takeover collapses as Saudi buyer withdraws bid
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Sports

Derby County takeover collapses as Saudi buyer withdraws bid

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh has withdrawn his proposed takeover of Derby County football club.
  • The deal's collapse is attributed to the time taken for regulatory approval, which would have left insufficient time to prepare the team for the season.
  • Derby County stated the club is now off the market and will continue under Clowes Developments' support, while Alalshikh remains open to future conversations.

Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh has abandoned his bid to take over Derby County, citing concerns over the time required for regulatory approval. The deal, which had been sanctioned by the English Football League and the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), was called off on Monday.

For the benefit of any doubt, the club is now off the market.

— Derby County statementFollowing the collapse of the proposed takeover deal.

Alalshikh, who had been in discussions since May regarding a controlling stake, posted on X that while he respected the IFR's process, the extended timeline would have prevented adequate preparation for the current season. "After careful consideration, we don't feel it is right to proceed at this time without the necessary preparation in place," he stated, though he left the door open for future discussions.

We understood that the IFR process takes time and fully respect the importance of that. But unfortunately with the season already started, it would leave us with no time to prepare the team or the club for the season ahead.

— Turki AlalshikhExplaining his decision to withdraw from the Derby County takeover bid.

Derby County issued a statement confirming the club is now off the market. "It will continue to operate under the loyal, committed and unwavering support of Clowes Developments," the club said. The IFR confirmed its assessment was completed within 55 of the allowed 90 days and that it had issued a "minded-to decision" to approve the bid before the start of the 2026-27 season.

The IFR has a statutory duty to thoroughly test all prospective owners of a club in the top five divisions of men's football.

— IFR spokespersonRegarding the timeline and process for assessing potential club owners.

The proposed takeover had drawn criticism from human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International, who viewed the IFR's decision as a significant test. Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has faced accusations of 'sportswashing' due to his role in promoting Saudi Arabia through sports, a tactic criticized by rights groups concerned about the Kingdom's human rights record.

The assessment was completed in 55 days out of the 90 days allowed by law.

— IFR spokespersonDetailing the speed of their review into Alalshikh's proposed takeover.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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