Derby County: EFL told club 'will run out of cash in February'

Despite their troubles, Derby have been in good form on the pitch.

The administrators of Derby County will tell the English Football League how they intend to fund the club for the rest of the season.

In a week of statements and counter-statements involving Derby, the EFL, Middlesbrough and Wycombe - who both have compensation claims against the Rams - the EFL has restated its demand for proof of funding by 1 February.

The statement said that the club will run out of cash by February and that source of funds is of paramount importance to ensure they can compete for the rest of the season.

Within minutes, Derby's administrators released a lengthy statement.

We have provided three scenarios as to how that funding gap can be bridged and the EFL await further confirmation from us as to which scenario we plan to deliver. "This will be dealt with over the next few days," administrators said.

The administrators confirmed that Derby are unable to sign players until the EFL are satisfied with the state of the financial situation and that the EFL will consider their position in terms of Derby's ability to fulfill the fixture list.

The administrators retain initial confidence that the club will be salvaged, but they also admit that the potential buyers are not willing to proceed with their proposed purchase until the situation in Middlesbrough and Wycombe is resolved.

The financial cases against Derby that led to them being deducted nine points this season were not dealt with on time, meaning that both clubs lost out.

The EFL said it had proposed independent legal mediation in an attempt to resolve the issue with the two clubs.

Phil Jagielka had a contract offer withdrawn by Derby and then sold to Wigan.

Derby have turned down four Millwall bids for Louie Sibley, which has attracted attention from Championship rivals, who question how they can cut in excess of £20m off their tax liability.

The administrators said that they wanted to maintain the integrity and quality of the squad. "That is still our goal."

Wayne Rooney met with Quantuma earlier this week, although there is no mention in the statement of the interest in speaking to their former player about their own managerial vacancies.

Derby fans have accused the EFL of pursuing a vendetta against the club, driven by a previous legal challenge against them, which they say is an "unwelcome diversion".

"As a founding member of the Football League with a proud history, the club is of huge importance to the East Midlands, our competition and the wider football family and we all hope it can flourish once again in the future as a sustainable member of the EFL," the statement added.

Any resolution achieved cannot ignore or sidestep the competition regulations and the terms of the EFL's insolvency policy that was set and agreed by all 72 members, including Derby County.