The EFL asked Derby County’s aspirant owner Erik Alonso to deposit £35million in a British bank account a fortnight ago — to prove he has funds for a takeover — but no cash has been forthcoming and the EFL have heard nothing from Alonso since, Sportsmail can reveal.
Alonso, 29, a Spanish businessman, has claimed his buyout remains on course.
While the takeover rumbles on, Derby were on Saturday celebrating Championship survival.
Alonso has privately been telling Derby’s current owner Mel Morris that he remains optimistic, but one source close to Pride Park said: ‘Alonso seemed a no-hoper from the start and there’s been no evidence he’s got the funds to do the deal.’
Alonso’s investment vehicle to attempt a buyout, No Limit Sports (NLS), was registered at Companies House in October.
The only other NLS director is Tajinderpal Sumal, registered at Companies House as director at six other companies, all of them small entities or struck off.
Alonso — an agent to a few low- profile footballers also describes himself as a boxing promoter — has claimed he could invest up to £150m in Derby, and it has been reported he might be backed by businessman Raja Sapta Oktohari, although no evidence has been produced and Alonso himself has said: ‘It’s just me.’
Alonso has formerly been linked to takeovers at Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff, neither of which happened.
Morris has insisted he will continue to fund the club until he finds a buyer, and is actively exploring other options, none close to fruition.
