Sam Brookes of The Mail Online reports that Derby County have suffered yet another knock in their pursuit of a buyer as the complexities over a purchase have seen Mike Ashley’s bid withdrawn. Derby are desperate to find a buyer and face liquidation and extinction if an investor cannot be found.
Mike Ashley’s Bid for Derby County Withdrawn
Another Blow
Whilst Mike Ashley has been a controversial figure in football during his now ended tenure at Newcastle United, he did put that club on a sound financial footing and Derby fans were ready to accept him as their saviour when he submitted a bid for the stricken club. His withdrawal now means the club are left with little time to find a new buyer and to save their very existence.
Ashley left Tyneside in October of 2021 when a Saudi backed consortium bought the club and he has been wanting to find a new club to invest in ever since.
Ashley ‘Angered’ at Initial Bid Rejection
According to Brookes, Ashley was angered by Derby’s administrators when they refused his initial bid and also by the additional costs that were found to be needed to get any deal over the line. Ashley was willing to pay an initial £25 million for the club as well as £23 million to buy the stadium. That fee would have been paid to former owner Mel Morris and the administrator Quantuma with Morris set to take £20 million from the deal but the complexities of acquiring Derby have and continue to cause huge issues for the club in trying to find a buyer.
Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers
Another spanner in the works for Derby are the two legal cases brought against them by fellow English Football League clubs Wycombe Wanderers and Middlesbrough. Both have cited loss of income following Derby’s financial misdemeanours as Boro missed out on the playoffs and Wycombe were relegated to League One. Both teams argue that Derby’s points deductions should have been applied previously. Middlesbrough are claiming £45 million for the 2018/19 season and Wycombe £6 million for relegation in 2021.
What Next for Derby County?
The issue with the two EFL clubs could be resolved if they both accept Mel Morris’s request for them to take him personally to court over the claims and withdraw the claims against the football club. Morris told the Derby Telegraph;
“ I invite Boro, and in due course Wycombe if they so wish, to take their claims to the High Court against me personally. Let DCFC move on for the benefit of the fans, the City of Derby, the sport and the EFL. To the EFL this allows them to see that the rights of Boro’s and Wycombe’s claims should they be proven in due course, preserved.”
The EFL have set a deadline for Derby to be able to prove that they can meet their financial obligations by the end of February 2022. If neither this can not be achieved nor a new buyer found, the curtains could be closed on one of the football league’s founding members.
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