FOOTBALL LEAGUE bosses have reportedly given the thumbs-up for Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s takeover of Derby.
The struggling Rams are lodged in 23rd in the Championship table and have been in flux since Mel Morris put the club up for sale.
Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan is part of the Abu Dhabi royal family, which is thought to be worth £115bn
Derby are struggling near the foot of the Championship tableCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Manager Phillip Cocu is widely expected to lose his job when a new owner comes in.
And that could be a step closer after the EFL green lit Sheikh Khaled’s £60million purchase of the club, according to the Mail.
It is said the matter was discussed during a board meeting on Thursday, with no objections raised.
The finer details of the Abu Dhabi royal family member’s takeover are still to be agreed.
But they will buoyed by the EFL’s happiness with the proposal despite claims of a conflict of interest.
Sheikh Khaled, 61, is the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available.
Phillip Cocu
The investor, who established the Bin Zayed Group in 1988, attended university in the United States and is not a first-time bidder for a major English football club.
In 2018, he failed with a £2billion bid for Liverpool.
And a £350million offer for Newcastle failed to come to anything in the summer of last year.
Sheikh Zayed’s enterprises include construction, real estate and technology and the Abu Dhabi royal family is thought to be worth over £115billion.
A late 1-0 defeat at home to QPR on Wednesday was Derby’s seventh defeat of the campaign and the new owner is expected to dispense with Cocu.
The Dutchman has reportedly kept his job to avoid disrupting the takeover process.
Cocu said last night: “I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available, and that part of the club I leave to Mel Morris and [CEO] Stephen Pearce.”
Wayne Rooney gets emergency Covid test after infected pal delivers luxury watch to his house
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
