Mike Ashley interested in buying Derby County after Newcastle sale

According to the Mirror, former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is interested in buying Championship club Derby County as they suffer in the midst of their financial distress. 

The Rams have already entered administration, and have had points deducted from them as a result. Should the financial difficulty persist, they might be subjected to stricter action. 

Ashley received £305 million for the sale of Newcastle United. The new owners are the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which has the highest net worth as football owners in the world. 

As reported by the Mirror, Ashley wants to maintain a constant platform for his Sports Direct company, and Derby County is only 30 miles from the stadium. As a result, the new project could actually be beneficial for the Shirebrook company head as he hopes to make a return to football. 

Mike Ashley is reportedly willing to provide the funds needed to revive Burnley and potentially bring them back to the Premier League. Manager Wayne Rooney has said that the 12-point deduction makes it harder for the Rams to stay up in the Championship, but further deduction could result in them being relegated to League 1. 

The previously quoted price for Derby County is around £30 million, and is only a percentage of the fee that Mike Ashley received from the sale of his former club. Whether or not the Sports Direct chief will end up dealing with the administrators for a takeover remains to be seen in the months ahead.