Derby owner Clowes renews promotion push after Al-Sheikh takeover collapses

Derby County owner David Clowes remains committed to funding the club's pursuit of Premier League promotion after a proposed takeover by Turki Al-Sheikh collapsed at a late stage. Chief executive Stephen Pearce told BBC Radio Derby that the deal had been about an hour from completion when Al-Sheikh unexpectedly withdrew.

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BBC Sport reported that an agreement had been reached and approved by both the Independent Football Regulator and the English Football League. Al-Sheikh, a Saudi government official who is also prominent in boxing, had been positioned to take control in August. Pearce said the withdrawal came completely out of the blue.

The scrutiny process affected Derby's work during the summer transfer window. According to Pearce, the club spent weeks in a holding pattern while the proposed change of ownership was examined. Even so, Clowes had already approved a budget and continued financing additions while expecting to sell the Championship club.

That backing included a reported £6 million permanent move for Bobby Clark from RB Salzburg. Derby also arranged a loan-to-buy agreement for Sam Szmodics from Ipswich valued at £2.7 million and spent about £600,000 to recruit Alex Mowatt from West Bromwich Albion. Pearce stressed that Clowes authorized those deals despite knowing he would not recover the spending if the takeover went through.

After the sale collapsed, Clowes removed Derby from the market and continued strengthening John Eustace's squad. BBC Sport reported that the club spent £4 million to sign David Ozoh from Crystal Palace, their largest outlay after the aborted deal. Other arrivals on free transfers and loans included Eiran Cashin, who returned to the club on deadline day.

Clowes, a Derbyshire property developer and lifelong Derby supporter, took the club out of administration in the summer of 2022. He had been open about seeking investment to help finance a return to the Premier League. Derby finished just outside the Championship play-off places last season, but Pearce rejected the suggestion that the takeover disruption had stalled their ambitions, saying the club still wants progress this season.