Sources: John Eustace and co. fighting for their jobs at Derby County
John Eustace and his coaching team face losing their jobs if the Saudi-backed takeover of Derby County goes through, sources have told Football Insider.
The Saudi consortium in talks to buy the second-tier outfit want to appoint a bigger-name manager who they believe has a better chance of taking the club to the Premier League.
Eustace led the Rams to an eighth-placed finish in the Championship last season, as they ended the season four points outside the play-off places.
He controversially left promotion-chasing Blackburn to join then-relegation-threatened Derby in February 2025.
Eustace has done an impressive job at Pride Park so far, but his job will become more precarious with the arrival of new owners who have lofty ambitions.
Their takeover is being fronted by Saudi Arabian government official and boxing investor, Turki Alalshikh, and is expected to be completed very soon.
Derby's potential new owners set to make John Eustace sack decision
Alalshikh is set to massively boost the Rams' spending power as he closes in on acquiring a 75 per cent stake in the club.
Eustace has publicly outlined his demands for more signings before the close of the window, with the club only spending a fee on Bobby Clark so far this summer.
He may not even be in charge to oversee the majority of the campaign as the Saudi-based consortium consider a change.
The independent football regulator is expected to give the final green light to the takeover deal in the coming days, with Eustace's future up in the air as a result.
Derby among clubs chasing David Ozoh transfer
Transfer talks are still going on behind the scenes despite uncertainty around Eustace's position at the helm.
Crystal Palace starlet Ozoh became a key man under the 46-year-old during his second loan spell at Pride Park last season.
He scored twice in 35 appearances from central midfield and impressed with strong passing, tackling and recovery statistics.
Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Derby want to sign Ozoh permanently this summer, but they face competition from Hull and German club Koln.