Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that Derby’s deal for Pride Park ‘still needs doing’, but has suggested that Chris Kirchner now has some ‘power’ behind the move.
The Lowdown: Kirchner confirms the deal is done
The Rams first entered administration last September amid ongoing financial problems at the club, but the American businessman was later named as the preferred bidder to swoop in and come to their rescue.
In a fresh update earlier this week, the 34-year-old expressed his delight in a Twitter post from his personal account confirming that the deal is done after exchanging contracts for the sale of the club with administrators Quantuma, with Kirchner now having until May 31 to complete the finer details after being granted conditional approval from the EFL.
However, it had previously been claimed by Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett that the new owner would be reluctant to proceed with the deal if he was unable to reach an agreement with Mel Morris over the sale of Pride Park, and Kirchner is still allowed to withdraw his plans to buy the club if he’s unhappy with the stadium situation.
The Latest: Nixon shares Pride Park update
When responding to a fan question on Twitter about whether the potential Pride Park roadblock would still be an issue in the takeover, Nixon wrote:
“The deal still needs doing… only thing is now Chris Kirchner has some power behind his move…”
The Verdict: Significant progress
The latest development means that the American is now funding the running of Derby, and that is hugely significant when it comes to the club being able to make progress in the short term.
Of course, there is still very much a chance that Kirchner could have a change of heart about making the final move if he fails to come to an agreement with Morris over Pride Park, but with every day that passes, it’s starting to look more and more likely that the takeover will be completed before the end of the month deadline.
As all of this is going on behind the scenes, Wayne Rooney will no doubt be starting to prepare his squad for their new chapter in League One where they will be hoping to make the immediate bounce back up to the Championship at the first time of asking.