Chris Kirchner misses deadline to provide proof he has means to buy Derby

Derby’s administrators have confirmed prospective buyer Chris Kirchner has not met a deadline to provide proof he has the means to purchase the club.

Kirchner, who was named as the preferred bidder in April, was given until 5pm on Friday to show he was in a position to complete the deal.

A statement from administrators Quantama read: “Further to our update yesterday evening, and despite the best efforts of the parties, Mr Kirchner has, as of yet, not provided us with satisfactory evidence that he is in a position to complete the acquisition of the club – albeit he continues to work on this.

Mr Kirchner has, as of yet, not provided us with satisfactory evidence that he is in a position to complete the acquisition of the club- Derby's administrators Quantuma

“The joint administrators are continuing discussions with other interested parties. Contrary to reports in the media today, no interested party has been excluded from these discussions.”

It appears American businessman Kirchner is still pursuing the deal, having exchanged contracts with the joint administrators on May 16.

The English Football League, which had given conditional approval to Kirchner’s ownership, said on Thursday it was “incredibly disappointed” by the latest hiccup in the process and called for a resolution “as a matter of urgency”.

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