Erik Alonso's Derby County takeover in TURMOIL just days out from survival shootout with Sheffield Wednesday, say reports

All is not well in Erik Alonso’s controversial attempted takeover of Derby County, according to reports.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The former Sheffield Wednesday advisor, whose short association with the club ended in a flurry of remarkable social media posts earlier this year, struck a deal with long-time Rams owner Mel Morris to buy the club a month ago.

But The Daily Mail report that any such deal is in turmoil at the EFL’s ‘Owners and Directors’ testing stage as he struggles to refinance their Pride Park stadium in an effort to fund the takeover.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Just days out from a clash with Wednesday that will resign at least one of the two clubs to a financially painful relegation to League One, sources have told the national newspaper that ‘alarm bells are ringing’ within the club and that a realisation is growing within the club that a buyout is unlikely to go through.

Former Sheffield Wednesday advisor Erik Alonso has launched an attempt to buy Derby County.Former Sheffield Wednesday advisor Erik Alonso has launched an attempt to buy Derby County.
Former Sheffield Wednesday advisor Erik Alonso has launched an attempt to buy Derby County.

Though Alonso has provided proof of funds, the report says, it is not yet clear whether he intends to use that money to buy the club. It is suggested his intention is to borrow cash against the Morris-owned stadium, which as part of the takeover would see it transferred to Alonso’s company No Limits Sports Ltd.

The delay has been a cause for anxiety to Derby supporters, many of whom were spooked by the Spaniard’s bizarre spell in S6 which ended in a public war of words with Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Alonso – described to The Star as a ‘man of mystery’ by one Hillsborough source – is understood to have approached Paul Cook over the vacant Owls manager’s job back in January and launched a bid to buy Wednesday a month later.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The fund-strapped Rams, who like Wednesday and a host of other EFL clubs have suffered major cashflow issues since the outset of the coronavirus crisis, are understood to have been forced to ask Morris to pay players out of his own pocket last week.

With the Wednesday clash just two days away, the news is surely a hugely unwelcome distraction for Wayne Rooney and his players, who squandered a lead at Swansea on Saturday to extend their run of defeats to six and pass up the chance to secure Championship safety.

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

*

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details at www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports.

Your support is much appreciated.

Chris Holt, Football Editor

Related topics: