Derby County: Takeover talks between owner Mel Morris and Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan
- Published
Mel Morris took control of Derby County from American owners in September 2015
Derby County are in talks with Abu Dhabi-based Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan about a possible takeover.
The 62-year-old is a cousin of Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour and was interested in taking over at Newcastle United last year after offering £2bn for Liverpool in 2018.
Current Rams owner Mel Morris has been in charge for just over five years after buying the club.
BBC Radio Derby understands a deal is close, but would need EFL approval.
Derby have reached the Championship play-offs in three out of five seasons since Morris bought out the previous American owners, losing to Aston Villa at Wembley in 2019 when Frank Lampard was manager.
Morris, who made his fortune through the firm which owns the online game Candy Crush Saga, brought former England captain Wayne Rooney to the club last season with the help of a sponsorship deal with betting firm 32Red.
He bought the club's Pride Park ground for £80m in order to meet English Football League spending rules and implemented a controversial means of measuring the value of players in their accounts.
The EFL charged the club with breaking their financial rules over the amortisation of player values and over-valuing their stadium.
Derby were acquitted of both charges in August, although the EFL is appealing against the ruling over the how the club measures player values in their accounts.
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