Alalshikh investment in Derby County moves closer

Alalshikh investment in Derby County moves closer Saudi Arabia authorities' representative Turki Alalshikh is poised to finalize his investment in Derby County as early as next week, according to BBC Radio Derby. Alalshikh, who co‑founded the boxing promotion company Zuffa, has been pursuing a stake in the Championship side since May, with negotiations ongoing with English football’s independent regulator. Final checks are scheduled to take place shortly, and his proposal is expected to receive approval in the coming days. The prospective deal has drawn criticism from human‑rights organisations, including Amnesty International, which in a past period warned that the regulator faced a "defining test" over the investment. Alalshikh, president of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and a close associate of the kingdom’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, has repeatedly been accused by rights groups of engaging in sportswashing. Critics argue that Saudi Arabia uses sport to improve its global image while diverting attention from its human‑rights record, the treatment of women, the use of the death penalty and its anti‑LGBT policies. Besides his involvement with Derby County, Alalshikh owned the Egyptian club Pyramids between 2018 and 2019 and previously held Spanish side Almeria before selling it to a Saudi‑backed investment group last May. The Independent Football Regulator, Derby County and Alalshikh all declined to comment on the matter.