Simon Jordan makes Chris Kirchner claim following Derby County takeover update

Simon Jordan believes that there’s nothing wrong with the way that Chris Kirchner went about becoming preferred bidder of Derby County after he re-emerged in the takeover race this week.

The American businessman was named as the preferred bidder on Wednesday morning by the administrators of the Rams, who have been searching for a party to take over the club since September.

Kirchner was a live contender in late 2021 as he lodged an offer for the club, however after his bid was turned down he withdrew himself from the race as he believed a deal wasn’t possible on the terms that the administrators wanted.

In recent weeks, Kirchner has been in talks with Derby’s league rivals Preston North End with a view to purchasing the Lilywhites, but after agreeing an initial figure with the club, his subsequent lower bids following a period of due diligence were turned down and PNE cut off talks with him.

Amid claims from reporter Alan Nixon that Derby City Council could do a deal to purchase Pride Park Stadium – which has been a stumbling block in negotiations due to Mel Morris owning it – and then lease it out, Kirchner has returned to the race and is now the only party in the running, although his accepted offer doesn’t include buying Pride Park.

A former owner of a club himself in Crystal Palace, Jordan said of Kirchner’s reemergence into the saga on talkSPORT, via DerbyshireLive: “There’s nothing wrong with the way Chris Kirchner has operated,”

“If you want to buy a football club, you don’t really want to pay what other people want you to pay, do you? You want to pay what you’re prepared to pay, especially if it is a distressed football club.

“Everyone wants you to come in the door and spend precisely what they want you to