Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh wants to buy Derby County
The man behind Saudi Arabia’s takeover of boxing wants to buy Derby County.It is understood the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator are aware of Turki Al-Sheikh’s interest in the Championship club, but both organisations declined to comment when approached by The Times.Al-Sheikh is a government minister in Saudi Arabia’s royal court and serves as the head of the General Entertainment Authority. The 44-year-old has flooded boxing with unprecedented riches under the “Riyadh Season” banner, staging multiple fights involving Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the Saudi capital, along with bankrolling stadium fights on British soil.Al-Sheikh would have to demonstrate to the Independent Football Regulator that the source of any takeover’s funding was separate to the Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle United. Derby County and a representative for Al-Sheikh declined to comment.Derby finished eighth in the Championship last season. David Clowes, a property developer and fan, paid £33m to purchase the club, which included £19.7million paid to creditors, in 2022.Al-Sheikh, who recently followed a number of Derby County-aligned accounts on social media, was previously linked with interest in Bristol City.The purchase of Derby would further increase Saudi Arabia’s influence in global football. The extraordinary spending that brought the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Ivan Toney to Saudi Pro League has slowed of late, with Al-Hilal sold to a private investor amid the PIF’s shift in strategy that put paid to its funding of LIV Golf. But securing the right to host the 2034 World Cup was the ultimate goal following the success of regional neighbour’s Qatar in 2022.Al-Sheikh previously owned Egyptian football club Pyramids and UD Almeria in Spain but has been focused on boxing in recent years. After working with British promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, Al-Sheikh co-founded Zuffa Boxing with UFC chief executive Dana White in June 2025.The PIF also acquired a minority share in the streaming service DAZN, which has exclusive deals with a number of promoters and so has effectively handed him a stronghold over the sport.
