There was a moment in August when Derby County genuinely believed they were about to enter a new era. Turki Alalshikh's takeover was on the verge of completion, promotion ambitions felt credible, and Pride Park dared to dream of a top-flight return. Then, with barely an hour to go before the deal was due to be signed off, it fell apart. What followed has been one of the most turbulent starts to a Championship season any Rams fan can remember.

A Summer Derailed Before It Even Started

John Eustace arrived at Derby in February 2025 under something of a cloud. Questions swirled about why he would leave Blackburn Rovers, who were fifth in the Championship, for a side scrapping to avoid the drop. The answer, it seems, was a clearly articulated long-term plan — survive, consolidate, then challenge for the Premier League. The promotion push was meant to begin this season.

The aborted takeover shattered that plan in a matter of hours. Owner David Clowes has remained committed to funding the club, and chief executive Stephen Pearce has maintained publicly that recruitment was not derailed. But Eustace himself has been more candid: the collapse cost them momentum on targets they had spent the summer working on, and in a transfer window that moves at pace, momentum is everything.

Liam Millar was one name Derby wanted. Birmingham City moved faster and took him on loan from Hull City. Ben Brereton-Díaz had impressed during his loan spell last season — eight goals in 41 games — but by the time the Rams could firm up their interest, the Southampton forward had agreed to join Sheffield United. Birmingham winger Patrick Roberts was another on the radar, only for wages to prove a sticking point. It is a familiar and painful kind of story.

Market Forces and a Squad Standing Still

None of last season's loanees had purchase options written in, which left Derby exposed to market rates when it came to bringing back those they valued most. Bobby Clark cost £6 million from Red Bull Salzburg, though the lack of a pre-agreed fee did at least work in their favour with David Ozoh, signed on deadline day for £4 million after Crystal Palace had been asking £10 million at the start of August. Sammie Szmodics, on a permanent deal from Ipswich, has already hit the performance targets to trigger the full £2.7 million fee.

Those three were influential last season, but re-signing them essentially returns the squad to where it was twelve months ago rather than strengthening it. The step forward that had been planned never materialised.

An Injury List That Would Test Any Manager

What has made an already difficult situation feel genuinely desperate is the sheer scale of injuries at Pride Park. Matt Clarke, last season's player of the year, is unlikely to feature before December. Goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom faces six weeks on the sidelines. Brighton loanee Eiran Cashin is out, and left-back Derry Murkin — expected to be the first-choice option in that position — will not return until after Christmas. Eustace has been unable to name the same back four in consecutive matches since August.

Up front, Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang — the latter of whom suffered a serious Achilles injury back in April — have both been unavailable, leaving Pisa loanee Henrik Meister to lead the line. The 22-year-old Dane has barely two goals to his name over the past year, and was earmarked as a back-up option rather than a starter. He then picked up a head injury against Birmingham this month, piling further misery on a squad already stretched to its limits.

History Says Eustace Can Drag Them Out of This

Five points from eight games, sitting in the relegation zone — it makes for grim reading. But the context matters, and so does last season's precedent. Derby recovered from a similarly difficult opening to finish comfortably mid-table, and the market now has a play-off spot available to the team finishing eighth. That target, though distant right now, has not disappeared.

Mo Fuseini's late equaliser at Burnley — a ground where the away end is rarely a happy place — at least kept them off the bottom before the international break. It is a thin comfort, but it is something. Eustace has turned a struggling side around before, and Derby's supporters will be clinging to that thought as the fixtures pile up in the weeks ahead.

Frequently asked

Why did the Turki Alalshikh Derby County takeover fall through?
Alalshikh pulled out of the planned takeover approximately an hour before it was due to be completed in August 2025, just before the Championship season began. The reasons behind the collapse have not been fully disclosed publicly, but it left Derby scrambling to reshape their summer transfer plans at the last minute.
Who is John Eustace and when did he join Derby County?
John Eustace became Derby County head coach in February 2025, joining from Blackburn Rovers where he had been challenging for promotion. He took over a side near the foot of the Championship and helped guide them to safety last season.
Where are Derby County in the Championship table right now?
After eight games of the 2025–26 Championship season, Derby County are in the relegation zone with just five points. A late goal at Burnley before the international break earned a draw and kept them off the bottom, but they remain in a precarious position.