Derby County's future looks very uncertain once again after the news broke yesterday morning that Chris Kirchner's bid to buy the club looks set to collapse.

There are other interested parties that the Rams will have to turn to, but they are likely to take longer and eat into Wayne Rooney's preparation time for the 2022/23 season even more.

In the long term this could work out to be better for the club, even though it does not feel as such at the moment, with former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley one of the other candidates interested in taking control at Pride Park.

Football Finance Expert Kieran Maguire explained his position on potentially turning to Ashley on The Price of Football podcast.

He said: "In the background, there's Mike Ashley like a praying mantis just sharpening his beak.

"My view is: Mike Ashley is not the best owner in football, but he's also not necessarily the worst either, he will run a club to a budget, he will cut back to the bone on certain areas but he knows the value of a business.

"Whilst it's not looking great on the Kirchner-front, it doesn't mean that all is lost."

Some words that can give some comfort to Derby supporters after what has been a rollercoaster of a saga in regards to Chris Kirchner's attempts to purchase the club.

The Verdict

 

 

Mike Ashley was not very ambitious in his time at Newcastle United, but he offered a sustainable footing that kept the club in the Premier League for the most part.

At the top of the priority list for Derby County at the moment is sustainability, and Ashley can offer them that and a platform to rebuild under Rooney.

The timeframe in which this can take place is a concern, because, even though there are greater concerns off the pitch at the moment, ideally the Rams do not want to be the next Sunderland and remain in the third tier for four long seasons, before returning to the Championship.

Ashley may well be a necessary avenue to allow Derby to recover from an extended period of financial mismanagement.