Championship

Derby County: Conway issues claim on the Rams takeover not being ‘played out in public’

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Image for Derby County: Conway issues claim on the Rams takeover not being ‘played out in public’

The Athletic’s Derby County reporter Ryan Conway discussed all of the latest Derby County news during a recent live stream on his YouTube channel and he spent some time talking about Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan‘s prospective takeover of the East Midlands club. 

The EFL approved this takeover bid led by the Abu Dhabi royal family member earlier this month and it has been claimed that by the end of November, the takeover ‘should be finalised’. 

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However, during this live stream, Conway revealed that he is unsure exactly how much longer it will take for this takeover to reach completion and he went on to explain why he feels the lack of recent updates on the progress of the deal is a good sign that the takeover may actually happen, saying:

“How far are we away from the takeover? I don’t know is the honest answer – but if takeovers are played out in public, that’s an enormous red flag that someone is just trying to leverage the football club for PR purposes. The last update I got, everything was trucking along fine.”

Do you think it is good that this takeover isn't being played out in public?

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YES

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NO

TIF Thoughts on what Conway had to say about the takeover…

The Saudi-backed bid to buy Newcastle United is an example of a highly-publicised takeover bid that ultimately didn’t result in the football club changing hands, so perhaps recent history may back up Conway’s claim that it isn’t a good sign of a takeover potentially happening when it is played out in public. 

Additionally, Toon owner Mike Ashley had reportedly been adamant that negotiations surrounding the sale of Newcastle United not play out in public, which further backs up the claim that it isn’t good if that occurs. 

While the fact that this Derby takeover isn’t playing out in public doesn’t necessarily mean that the deal is going to be finalised, it does seem as though the would-be buyer isn’t doing this for publicity, especially as it has been claimed that Abu Dhabi experts have had some difficulty getting information on the Abu Dhabi royal family member. 

So, perhaps Derby fans can take some positives from the lack of regular updates on the takeover.

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