Derby takeover: Chris Kirchner adamant he still wants to buy the club despite missing cash deadline | Football News

Chris Kirchner is adamant he still intends to complete a deal to buy Derby County despite missing several deadlines for the purchase money to be paid, Sky Sports News can reveal.

Kirchner no longer has exclusivity to try to complete a takeover after missing Friday’s 5pm deadline, set by the club’s administrators.

It is understood he has told Quantuma, the administrators, the money to buy the club is lodged in a European bank clearing account, awaiting money-laundering checks to be completed.

Kirchner has altered his plans to fly back to America, and will stay in the UK to try to finalise a deal.

Sky Sports News can confirm Kirchner is one of five parties still interested in buying Derby – former Wolves owner Steve Morgan has now withdrawn his interest.

Former Derby chairman Andy Appleby is in renewed negotiations with Quantuma, but he is working to sure up investors who will commit to investing.

Ashley remains interested but ‘disappointed’ by administrators

Mike Ashley, former owner of Newcastle, has the cash to buy the club by himself and is still determined to purchase, but says he is being ignored by the administrators, while two other, as yet unnamed, groups are also involved in the bidding process.

Ashley has contacted Derby’s administrators, Quantuma, through his lawyers and communicated that he “remains willing and ready to transact”.

Ashley, who has been interested in buying Derby since October after he sold Newcastle, has made offers in the sale process but not received any response from Quantuma for some time.

A letter sent to the lawyers of Quantuma on Ashley’s behalf says he has been “disappointed by what [he] considers has been the failure of the joint administrators to engage constructively” during the process.

It adds that Ashley does not wish “to be treated as a contingency measure and would require some form of security” from the administrators before entering into further discussions over the sale of Derby.

All the delays have led to increased debt on Derby’s books, which means the asking price for the club is continually rising.

The original price, in the “high twenties of millions”, is now likely to be in excess of £30m as a result, with the option to buy Pride Park adding around £22m on top of that figure.

A price tag of over £50m is more than any investor would pay to buy many Championship clubs. But it’s thought Derby, despite relegation to League One, is still a very attractive proposition because of its big fanbase and future commercial potential.