‘I’ve got Saudi contacts…’ - Turki Alalshikh criticised as reason for Derby takeover collapse explained

Turki Alalshikh should have been more prepared if he truly intended to take over Derby County ahead of the new Championship season.

That is according to former Everton chief executive and ex-Premier League board member Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes the Saudi Arabian businessman has no excuse for his decision to pull out. 

The investment deal had seemingly been into its final stages, but fell through on Monday, despite Derby suggesting that the necessary approval had been granted from both the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator.

Wyness believes that Alalshikh was hoping to receive quicker approval to buy the Rams, in order to aid preparations for the new campaign as much as possible.

He pointed out that the independent regulator took 55 days to grant permission for the investment deal, but also pointed out that Alalshikh and his associates should have been planning throughout the entire process.

Derby had been banking on the takeover deal going through for a last-minute flurry in the transfer market, and they have now been forced to go back to the drawing board.

Turki Alalshikh the ‘bad guy’ as Derby saga unfolds

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that there is no denying that Alalshikh has emerged as the “bad guy” after the Derby takeover fell through. 

The boxing promoter issued a statement via his X account on Monday afternoon, in which he appeared to point the finger towards the time it took for the investment deal to be granted.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness emphasised that Alalshikh is really the man to blame, and pointed towards a deal to invest in Bristol City that failed in a similar fashion.

“In terms of the Saudi side of things, the only sympathy I could find, if there is any at all, is how long the regulator took,” he said.

“The regulator claims that they cleared this in 55 days and they said they had to do it within 90. Well, given the ability to have checked the source of funds, I think they could have done it quicker. And I think maybe that’s the point that Alalshikh is trying to make.

“My gut feeling is that Alalshikh is the bad guy in this. There are still three weeks left in the transfer window.

"If you're looking to buy a club, you should already be planning what players you want to bring in and already have started to have those discussions and be ready to pounce, particularly when you're that close to finishing a deal.

“It's also not the first club. Bristol City had a bad experience with Turki as well. Turki's a bit of a volatile character. I've got several contacts in Saudi, and I've been in Saudi around the Alalshikh circus.

“He's leaving a bad taste in a lot of places at the moment, not just in football. It's almost the attitude of, look, we're Saudi, we've got money, take it or leave it, we're the big guys. And I'm afraid that just doesn't work.”

Derby midfielder transfer may now be in doubt

Football Insider revealed last week that Derby are battling a series of clubs to sign former loanee David Ozoh on a permanent deal this summer. 

The Crystal Palace midfielder is also attracting strong interest from the likes of Hull City, Koln and Marseille, making it difficult for the Rams to win that race. 

Derby would have hoped that the Alalshikh deal would have provided them with the funds to push their move for the 21-year-old over the line.

With that investment no longer a possibility, it appears increasingly likely that Ozoh will remain out of reach for the East Midlands outfit.