Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has been speaking on the latest installment of the Price of Football podcast, where he provided an update on Derby County’s proposed takeover.
The Midlands outfit are on the verge of new ownership after Mel Morris agreed to sell the club to Spanish businessman Erik Alonso last month.
Alonso is currently the subject of the EFL’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test, with the deal expected to be finalised should the 29-year-old pass the test.
However, the entrepreneur has thrown doubt over his credibility as Derby’s potential new owner after posting a suspicious video online, Maguire revealed.
He said: (9:12) “He put up on social media footage of an absolutely amazing looking apartment with the sort of implication that this is his pad, and people can go, ‘Wow, blimey, Erik, you are the man. Yeah, perhaps you are this incredibly wealthy individual that you keep alluding to.’
“And then, you know, fair play to an eagle-eyed fan, who said, ‘hold on, I’ve seen that before.’ And it turns out that it’s footage from somebody else who put up an Instagram of their real apartment in Bel Air, which apparently is worth $42 million, and all that we know since then, is that Erik Alonso has gone very quiet, and I think he’s deleted his Twitter account.
“So yeah, my view, and this is just an opinion, is that Derby County would be dodging a bullet if he doesn’t go ahead with the deal, but I may be proved wrong. He could turn out to be an incredibly philanthropic billionaire, and they’re going to win the Champions League in four or five year’s time as appears to be the voices in his head.”
TIF Thoughts on Derby’s takeover…
Wayne Rooney’s Rams avoided relegation from the Championship on the last day of the season thanks to a dramatic draw with Sheffield Wednesday, but that’s where the good news may end.
Alonso’s authenticity and credibility appear to be in major doubt, and Derby may be better off avoiding the Spaniard.
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