Derby County 'could groundshare at Leicester City' to complete takeover deal

Leicester City could groundshare with East Midlands rivals Derby County as the Rams battle to navigate "the biggest hurdle" in a proposed takeover deal, according to reports.

It has been a turbulent season at Pride Park with points deductions totalling 21 points playing a huge role in Derby's relegation to League One. Wayne Rooney's side are third from bottom in the Championship and play their final game of the season this weekend at home to Cardiff City.

But Rams fans have been excited about the club's proposed takeover by businessman Chris Kirchner as the American looks to rescue the club from administration. However, his exclusivity period with administrators Quantuma ends on Saturday, with the deal being complicated over former owner Mel Morris separating Pride Park Stadium from the club in 2018.

Kirchner admitted in an interview on Thursday night: "It is just the way the entities under the previous owner were tied together. The stadium and the rights to that stadium are intertwined for a lot of those. Without getting too detailed or too complex, and obviously to have a club and to have a deal officially approved by the EFL you have to have a lease or own a ground.

"You have to have somewhere to play and so for all those reasons it's tied in. Because it is not part of the administration it has added a layer of complexity in trying to get this deal done because of the different parties that have to make decisions on it."

Alan Nixon claims that the possibility of Derby playing elsewhere is being explored which could see the Rams becoming tenants at the King Power Stadium or at Stoke City's ground.

The EFL issued an update on the Derby saga on Thursday with Kirchner in England to try to get the bid over the line.

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