Turki Al-Sheikh has pulled out of a deal to invest in Championship side Derby County, nearly 12 months after he made a bombshell Manchester United takeover claim. The businessman and the club confirmed on Monday afternoon that he was no longer in the running to acquire what was described as 'controlling interest' in the club.
Background of the Man United claim
United supporters may recall the Saudi Arabian boxing supremo's shock claim on X that a potential investor was in advanced talks, before he later clarified it was not him. He said last year: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor... I hope he’s better than the previous owners."
The following day, he added: "My yesterday’s post about Manchester United's potential sale meant one thing: the club is in an advanced negotiation phase with a new investor. Just to clarify, I am not the investor, nor are they from my nation. I'm posting this as a fan who wishes the deal to happen, though it might not necessarily happen."
Reaction and other interests
His claim was almost immediately dismissed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in an interview with The Business podcast, produced by The Times and The Sunday Times, when he was asked about the Glazers. He said: "That probably sums it up. We're local and they're the other side of the pond. That's a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and complex as Manchester United. We're here with feet on the ground. They [the Glazers] get a bad rap... but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club."
Turki Al-Sheikh has shown an interest in investing in football, with talks held over a move for Bristol City, but that did not materialise. His potential investment in Derby reached a far more advanced stage before he opted out.
Reason for withdrawal
Following Derby's statement, he revealed his decision to not invest was because of how long it took football's independent regulator to assess prospective owners, which prevented best preparations for the season. He said: "I would like to thank everyone at Derby County Football Club, and everyone involved in this process for all their hard work over the past few months. We understood that the IFR process takes time and fully respect the importance of that, but unfortunately with the season already started, it would leave us with no time to prepare the team or the club for the season ahead. After careful consideration, we don't feel it is right to proceed at this time without the necessary preparation in place, but we will remain in conversation with the club and see what is possible in the future. I personally wish the team and club every success for the season ahead."
