According to The Sun, Mel Morris has turned down an offer of £50 million for Derby County as the Rams owner holds out for a £60 million fee.
The report claims the offer came from an American consortium. The investors flew into Derby to conclude a deal before being told their offer was seemingly £10 million short.
Morris took over as the sole owner of Derby back in 2015.
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images).
The Rams had just missed out on promotion under former manager Steve McClaren, and Morris wasn’t shy in stumping up the cash to get Derby over the line.
In the 2015-16 campaign, Derby spent north of £25 million on new players.
The Rams, however, fell short and the past two seasons have seen them suffer yet more playoff heartbreak as they try to complete promotion to the Premier League.
Battling against clubs with parachute payments puts Derby at a disadvantage. Moreover, Financial Fair Play rules prevents the Rams from another potential big summer spend.
Morris controversially struck a deal to buy Pride Park to help Derby’s finances against FFP. But, he is still on the lookout for further investment to help take the club forward.
On the pitch, Derby have made an indifferent start to the season.
(Photo by Sam Bagnall – AMA/Getty Images).
New manager Phillip Cocu had a short pre-season. Furthermore, questionable recruitment and injuries to key players have had an impact on early season results.
The Rams are currently 13th in the Championship table. It’s unlikely they will reach the top six this season, and plans must now be in place to strengthen for next year.
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