The guy behind Sheffield United’s approach to an AI-driven recruitment model, as well as the former Newcastle United owner, could join John Textor in the race to buy Derby County.
Derby have been connected to a prospective sale or outside investment for some time, and multi-club proponent John Textor’s interest has already been revealed, but two new names have emerged as potential buyers for the club.
One of them is Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner who has lately been linked with a bid for Sheffield Wednesday, while the other is the professional gambler who spearheaded Sheffield United’s transition to an AI-driven recruitment approach over the summer.
James Bord and Mike Ashley are seeking for a new club, and Derby County is on their radar.
Journalist Alan Nixon reported on Patreon on Sunday morning that James Bord is considering a bid to buy Derby County.
Bord, who gained his fortune as a professional gambler, is said to have been dissatisfied in his attempts to implement an AI-generated model at Sheffield United and has shifted his focus to Pride Park instead.
According to Nixon, Bord’s interest in Sheffield Wednesday sparked rumors that a merger between the two Sheffield teams was being contemplated, and he is now seeking supporters for a potential move for Derby County.
According to Nixon, Bord isn’t the only name that could challenge John Textor for ownership of the Rams. He also claims that Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner who is reported to have bid for Sheffield Wednesday, is exploring a move for Derby.
Ashley, of course, was apparently interested in owning the Rams in 2022 before they were taken over by local businessman and current owner David Clowes.
However, Nixon warns that the price may be too high for Ashley, whose £20 million bid for Wednesday is anticipated to be insufficient to secure ownership of Hillsborough.
The attention of Bord, Ashley, and Textor indicates that Derby County will have numerous suitors.
James Bord, originally from Stanmore in Middlesex, got his first millions from professional gambling before moving his concentration to data analysis, where, according to a May 2025 piece in The Sun, “his companies and ideas have thrived in several fields”.
However, with Alan Nixon stating that Bord has been “frustrated in his efforts to bring in AI scouting” at Bramall Lane, any move to buy Derby County would most likely see him try that model at Pride Park instead. Although Sheffield United’s on-field results have improved and the team has moved out of the bottom three, there is no evidence that their summer transfer market recruitment was as successful as the club had hoped.
What is apparent is that the Rams are expected to attract serious interest, with Mike Ashley also circling. Ashley has been a contentious figure in the past, but his £20 million proposal for Sheffield Wednesday was rejected as too low, raising the issue of if any bid he makes for Derby will rival John Textor or James Bord’s.
According to Nixon, Derby are worth approximately £60 million, and it remains to be seen whether anyone is willing to match that valuation in order to take over the East Midlands club.
But what can be said with certainty is that there will be a lot of interest in buying Derby County. Derby, like Wednesday, represents a piece of English football history while also providing speculators with a path into the riches of the Premier League. Derby were England’s champions in 1972 and 1975, and they were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888.
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