It’s been a tumultuous season for Derby County, with the club facing major uncertainty on and off the field.
Since taking over from Phillip Cocu after the former Barcelona midfielder departed in November with the Rams rock bottom of the Championship, Wayne Rooney has overseen a gradual upturn in results.
Initially the senior figure in an interim set-up including Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker, Rooney was appointed manager on a permanent basis earlier this month on the back of a solid start to his coaching career.
Having beaten QPR on Saturday, Derby have racked up five wins, four draws and six defeats in all competitions since Rooney and co took charge. They are up to 21st in the table and five points clear of the relegation zone, though their situation is still precarious given that 22nd-placed Rotherham have three games in hand.
Whether or not Derby avoid relegation could be down to what happens off the pitch between now and the end of the season. The club failed to pay a number of players’ wages in full in December – a situation which remains unresolved – and have been placed under a transfer embargo as a result.
Derby are currently in the midst of a protracted takeover which was approved by the EFL as far back as November. That has led to a growing sense of unease and frustration among fans.
Speaking after the QPR game, Rooney told BBC Radio Derby: “We have to have answers in the next few days… it’s a big week. We have to show the ambition to move this club forward.”
Rooney wants to bring in new additions as quickly as possible but, with the transfer embargo still in place, his hands are tied. So what’s the latest on the takeover and will it be completed in time for him to secure his transfer targets?
What do we know about the Derby takeover?
First and foremost, according to Derbyshire Live, outstanding wages should be paid to players some time on Monday whatever the status of the takeover. That would see the club’s transfer embargo lifted and, all being well, Rooney should be able to do business before the January window closes.
As for the takeover itself, the wait goes on. Earlier in the month, Rams CEO Stephen Pearce told BBC Radio Derby that it was “absolutely going ahead” and said: “It’s just a case of that final bit of the transfer going through.
“There are absolutely no problems that have been raised by either Mel [Morris, Derby owner] as the seller or Derventio Holdings Group in relation to this deal.”
Derventio Holdings (UK) Limited was registered at Companies House, the UK’s registrar of companies, late last year. Derventio was a Roman town which preceded modern-day Derby, so the name is a nod to the city’s history.
Derventio Holdings is essentially a takeover vehicle for Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, a relative of the Abu Dhabi royal family. The ultimate controlling entity is Bin Zayed International LLC, which is owned by Sheikh Khaled.
Sheikh Khaled failed with a reported £2bn bid for Liverpool in 2018, then again with a £350m approach for Newcastle the following year.
As the Derby takeover drags on, many fans are starting to feel profoundly worried. Someone has set up a ‘Have Derby County been taken over yet?’ Twitter account which has tweeted the word “no” on a daily basis since January 11.
According to The Athletic’s Ryan Conway, the club is “still confident” that the takeover will be completed. Rooney isn’t the only one who wants answers, however, and the sooner Derby get them the better.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2M2cKYT
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