Derby County are quickly eyeing deals for as many as five players with their takeover confirmed on Friday by the club and David Clowes.
After nine months of financial uncertainty and the club’s future being up in the air, the Rams are finally set to come out of administration and gets things back to how they should be.
With only a handful of contracted players at the club ahead of the 2022/23 League One season after relegation from the Championship a few months back, they are now able to sign players again.
According to an update from John Percy, Derby are plotting to sign winger Tom Barkhuizen (a free agent after leaving Preston earlier this summer, expected to be Derby’s first signing of the summer transfer window.
#dcfc can look ahead with optimism after the takeover by David Clowes, a lifelong fan and sensible businessman. Race is now on to sign players, with former Preston winger Tom Barkhuizen set to be the first. Conor Hourihane, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing & James Chester also in talks
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) July 1, 2022
Then they hope to get a deal across the line for midfielder Conor Hourihane, attacker Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and centre back James Chester with all in talks over deals to join the club. And it’s something that’s got fans excited.
Derby have also allowed former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith to come and train with them ahead of a potential move, according to a Patreon report from Alan Nixon.
Meanwhile, Ravel Morrison looks to have confirmed that he is leaving Derby County this summer. As one of many players who was out of contract at the end of June, he follows Ryan Allsop, Kelle Roos and Louie Watson to leave the club.
Curtis Davies says he would be delighted to sign a new deal with Derby County and lead the club back to the Championship.
The EFL have issued a statement about Derby County after Clowes Developments completed their takeover of the club.
In a statement, the league said that they “welcomes confirmation” of the Rams being placed under the ownership of Clowes Developments. They confirmed that Derby had met their terms of regulations and insolvency policy and that the Notice of Withdrawal had also been “cancelled”.
The EFL stated that the Rams will remain under a registration embargo but will be allowed to sign new players, if the terms comply with a business plan jointly agreed by Clowes Developments and the Football League. EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said he hoped the new owner would bring a “renewed sense of optimism” to Pride Park.
“These past nine months have been a worrying and challenging time for everybody connected with the Club, particularly the staff and supporters who have been forced to endure much uncertainty,” Birch said. “This Administration has presented all relevant parties with many and varied challenges, but with the new ownership now in place, the Club and local community can hopefully now look to the future with a renewed sense of optimism.
“Throughout this process, it has been frustrating to read a great deal of misleading comments from some people which have either fundamentally misunderstood the remit of the EFL or have misrepresented what the League’s role in the process has been. At all times the EFL’s focus has been on securing the future of Derby County whilst ensuring the requirements of our Regulations and Insolvency Policy are met alongside acting in the best interests of all 72 members of the League.
“I would like to wish everybody at the Club, in particular the new ownership and their associates, all the very best for a long and sustainable future and we look forward to working closely together as we head into season 2022/23 and beyond.”
Following the announcement of the takeover fans, players, clubs and pundits sent in their thoughts.
Craig Bryson reacted with raised hands and black heart emojis, while George Thorne responded with three clapping emojis.
Shaun Barker: Wonderful news that has felt like it was never coming! Everyone associated with @dcfcofficial and the city as a whole, can now look forward.
Jody Morris: Delighted to see the great news for Derby County…a fantastic club with absolutely amazing support and great history!!
Danny Higginbotham: This is great news @dcfcofficial and hopefully onwards and upwards now !!!
Simon Jordan: #dcfc deal done ! Up and onward for Derby County fans.
Malcolm Christie: If @carlsberg did a week in football. @dcfcofficial saved and my autobiography released, there is a lord up there. So happy for all you loyal fans. Well done @Clowes_UK
Alan Hinton: Congrats to all of our great news re Derby County. In our hearts we hoped and knew there would be a saviour out there to protect our future on and off the field. Thank you Mr Clowes you are the main man. I will be coming over to shake your hand. Bet the pubs will be full.
Bury AFC: Congratulations Derby.
Matlock Town FC: We would like to send our congratulations to Dave Clowes and everybody at @Clowes_UK on completing the deal to acquire Derby County Football Club. We have a great relationship with both #DCFC, @Clowes_UK and the Rams fans that we look forward to continuing.
Fans reacted with Derby County quickly eyeing deals for five players after the takeover is confirmed…
@VillaWatch1: Hourihane is too good for league 1, would be huge for them
@Sach_gill2603: CMONNNNNN 🐏
@jtweets92: To be fair they are decent signings for league 1
@AVFC_Ed: HMS Piss the League if they get all them
@sophiehoward92: Barky would be a great signing, always liked him
@funoxfordjim: Crikey. They should breeze league 1 with that lot…
@ndmorley: Hourihane would be amazing in L1 🔥🔥🔥
@darrrent: So so happy for derby. Up and onwards
@A_Guy_on_Here: Conor can deffo still play higher level imho but would smash it for them if he signed. Wonderful player with a cracking left foot. Chezzy likewise.. both were great at Villa. Barkhuizen will do a good signing too.
@joshkentx: Chester and Hourihane!! wow
@RJProduction3: Barky will be good for them. Hopefully the new owner will have learnt not to pay stupid wages to buy the league.
@Allthings_dcfc: These signings would be quality. Hopefully more to follow. This just goes to show #dcfcfans, how much pull we have.
@JackGriffiths44 :Hourihane unreal signing if it happens and Mendez-Liang seems to be the risk player to replace ravel.
@alibehan; Come on Conor! Do it for us fans in Ireland 🇮🇪 ☘️
@Jakeyb14: Good signings for that level, and good pros too
@dcfcpete82: Be some signings for League 1 level IF they come off, just be happy to see the experience and youth we have now tied down as a priority to be honest #dcfc #dcfcfans
@waynorams: Boom!!!! Let’s fucking build 🐏
@_stonyd: Good luck to all #dcfc fans for the new season. Huge club and could so easily have been my team #avfc who had the financial struggles if we hadn’t won the play off final
@topklobber: Get them signed!!!
@joecollettcramp: So Derby become the latest in a string of clubs to enter League One in an absolute mess, miraculously recover, sign players too good for the level and probably take up a promotion space. League One is so messed up these days.
@JackMath_: How on earth are they pulling off a signing like Hourihane?
@sunbeam007: His dad built the company so we really don’t know how good a businessman Junior is. We certainly don’t know if he can run a sports business. And we don’t know what money he really has. Mike Ashley has the money, the experience and would have rebuilt Derby.
Fucking hell fire, it’s all happening at once pic.twitter.com/PnoHPMRpEt
— Tommy Lee (@Tommy_Lee333) July 1, 2022
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