Turki Alalshikh interested in buying Championship club

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is interested in buying Derby County, talkSPORT understands.

Alalshikh has been assessing options in the Championship for some time as he looks to invest in English football.

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This is not the first time that the head of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia has been linked with an EFL club.

Alalshikh was rumoured to be looking at buying a Championship side last summer, with Bristol City touted.

But he posted a statement on social media to deny that, while talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan confirmed that Alalshikh had also been looking at potentially buying Southampton or Millwall.

However, no investment has occurred since then, with Derby now the latest to be attracting interest from the Saudi boxing mogul.

The Rams did not comment on the matter when approached by talkSPORT.

Alalshikh has been involved in football previously, having owned Spanish club Almeria before selling in May 2025 to fellow Saudi owners, with Cristiano Ronaldo also now a co-owner.

He was previously the owner of Egyptian side Pyramids FC too.

How much is Turki Alalshikh worth?

Saudi boxing chief Alalshikh is reported to be worth $2.8billion.

His riches will stem from his role as chairman of the GEA of Saudi Arabia, as well as his involvement in boxing, other sports and the government.

Alalshikh is one of the figureheads of the Riyadh Season boxing brand, which is said to be worth more than $3bn alone.

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He has led Saudi Arabia’s recent boxing takeover, masterminding and creating some monumental fights in the sport since 2023, including the upcoming Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua bout.

The 44-year-old also co-founded Zuffa Boxing with UFC president Dana White, and has worked closely with Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren too.

On top of all of that, Alalshikh is a minister and also an advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.

Who currently owns Derby?

At the moment, Derby fan and local property developer David Clowes owns the club, having bought it for £33million in 2022.

Clowes is considered a hero by Rams supporters after he saved them from going bust due to major financial problems.

His arrival led to the club meeting the League’s Regulations and Insolvency Policy requirements and they were taken out of administration with a Notice of Withdrawal also being cancelled.

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Since Clowes bought Derby, they have gone from strength to strength, achieving promotion to the Championship in 2024.

And after a 19th-place finish in the 2024/25 campaign, the Rams came close to securing a play-off spot this year.

They finished eighth, just four points off the top six.