John Textor is preparing an official bid to take over Derby County, with conjecture tying him to both the Rams and Sheffield Wednesday.
According to Alan Nixon, the American is ready to make an approach for the Championship team as he seeks to return to English football.
The 60-year-old was previously part of Crystal Palace’s ownership structure before selling his stake in the Premier League club earlier this year.
He has also worked with various clubs around the world, including Lyon and Botafogo in France and Brazil, respectively.
David Clowes is the current owner of Pride Park, having taken over after the club went into administration in 2022, and it is unclear whether he will accept an offer from the American investor.
John Textor readies Derby County proposal amid Sheffield Wednesday acquisition talks.
Textor is apparently preparing to launch a formal approach to buy Derby County in order to return to English football.
He is said to have traveled into the UK this weekend, and he may even be in attendance for the team’s home game against Watford this weekend, as they look for their sixth league victory in a row.
Derby are thought to be worth roughly £60 million, with Textor mulling a deal that may see him buy a minority or controlling ownership in the second level club.
However, it is uncertain whether an agreement can be reached with Clowes among this conjecture, with numerous other interested parties still in the picture.
Textor’s name had previously been associated with Sheffield Wednesday, but it is understood that the cost of the purchase may now be higher than anticipated, despite going into administration, and his primary goal is now to clinch a deal with Derby.
It was claimed earlier this year that Chansiri was looking for £100 million to cash in on his Owls share, but a reserve price of around £30 million has been suggested despite interest from a number of parties.
Derby County fans will be leery of John Textor’s ownership.
Derby have had considerable stability under Clowes, following a difficult few years prior to his ownership of the club.
That stability will always be threatened when a new face takes over the squad, and Textor is someone that fans will be especially suspicious of.
The 60-year-old supervised financial malpractice at Lyon, putting the French club in danger of being relegated to Ligue 2 as a result of their behind-the-scenes troubles, and he was also disliked by Botafogo supporters.
While he may be able to fund Derby at a higher level than Clowes currently does, there is no certainty that his ownership would be successful at Pride Park.
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