Administrators Quantuma hope to find a buyer for Derby County
Chris Kirchner, a US businessman, has indicated that he is interested to take over Derby County.
The Championship club has been in administration since 22/09/19, which led to a 12-point deduction that left them at the bottom of this table.
Kirchner, co-founder of Slync.io, is openly stating his intent to purchase the Rams in a letter to supporters.
According to the 34-year old, owning a club is a "childhood dream come real".
Quantuma administrators have stated that they would like to identify three preferred bidders before the end of this year.
Andy Appleby, a former Derby owner, is believed to be interested in the project. However, Quantuma stated last month that they have not been approached yet by Mike Ashley, who recently sold Newcastle United.
Kirchner was the first to make public plans to purchase the Rams.
He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and is now based in Texas. But I have done enough to be able to purchase and finance a club.
"The administrators were very meticulous and required at least 100m proof of liquidity in order to get me to this point.
"As the process unfolds, I will continue sharing as much as I legally can while respecting the EFL/administrators. Both of them are doing an excellent job and care about the club's future. We will not allow anything similar to the public scandals of the past to happen again.
BBC Radio Derby has reached out to Quantuma regarding Kirchner's possible involvement, and is currently awaiting a reply.
Derby was able to draw 1-1 at Coventry City thanks to Graeme Shinnie’s goal on Saturday
Willingness to deal with complexities
Kirchner attended Pride Park's game and was impressed by Wayne Rooney, the coach and the players. He plans to return Saturday when Blackburn Rovers takes on Pride Park.
He wrote: "While the club is currently experiencing a very difficult time, it's the supporters and all those associated with the club who have remained loyal that provide the foundation for rebuilding again.
"This is a challenge I take seriously, but it is one that I look forward to. I believe we can succeed together.
"I want to support the rebuilding effort and be part of it. As an entrepreneur, I am passionate about building companies. I would like to use that experience to rebuild this historic club.
He said, "The administration process is complicated at this time. But, I have told the administrators that I am willing to work through these complexities.
"I am aware and accept that there are many interested parties in this club. However, I wanted to be upfront at the beginning of the process and make sure everyone is on the same page."
Derby, who has not played in the Premier League for eight years, appealed against the points deduction claiming that Covid-19 caused the club's administration.
"His intentions seem right"
Mel Morris, the owner, had agreed to sell to Bin Zayed International (BZI), an Abu Dhabi-based company, and Erik Alonso, a Spanish businessman earlier in the year. Both deals fell apart.
Kirchner's letter concluded that "The best stories in Life often begin after a setback, and the best years in Derby County FC are without doubt in front of you."
"We will hopefully have the opportunity to be better than ever and jointly write our own chapters of the rich history of DCFC!" "Raise the Rams!"
Charlie Palmer, a former Rams defender, said on BBC Radio Derby's Sportscene: Kirchner's intentions "seem right".
He said that there would be many discussions before any buyer could make a deal.
They need to dig into the details and find out the root causes of the problems in order to be able to address them. Palmer said that they hoped to be able to put in the funds, pay off the debts, and take this club higher up the league.
"Wayne does a fantastic job with his hands tied. It will be interesting to see if he can bring in the players that could take this club to new heights with the help of his contacts.
"I hope that the right person will come in to give him the support and financial resources to move this club forward, because he is deserving of it."
Analyse
Chris Coles, BBC Radio Derby
Chris Kirchner's communication is already a major advantage over Sheikh Khaled and BZI.
The saga continued for many years and there was much excitement about the future.
He said everything he should. You can get lots of people to sign up if you are very complimentary about the club that you're purchasing and if you add something like "Up The Rams" at the end.
Quantuma has already demonstrated that they will only talk to those who are serious. They have asked Chris Kirchner and other interested parties for proof of funds and cash to remove Derby from this position.
It feels different but it's still early so fans can be optimistic, but cautious after the past.
