Derby County is facing a crucial test over potential Saudi investment as Saudi Arabian government official Turki Al-Sheikh attempts to buy a stake in the Championship side. Al-Sheikh, who has previously owned football clubs in Spain and Egypt, is looking to invest in the club, but his involvement has raised concerns over 'sportswashing' and human rights. The independent football regulator (IFR) will need to approve the investment, and Amnesty International has criticized the move, saying it would mark a significant expansion of Saudi Arabia's footprint in English football. The regulator must ask questions and answer them transparently, said Felix Jakens, head of campaigns at Amnesty International UK. The serious questions surrounding Saudi involvement in sport anywhere in the world are just as relevant here, he added. Al-Sheikh has previously had takeover talks at Bristol City and shown interest in investing in Southampton and Millwall in the past. His latest interest in Derby and existing links to Newcastle United's backers will also raise questions around multi-club ownership in English football. The Premier League's owners' and directors' test forbids any individual or entity from indirectly or directly determining the management of more than one English league club. Rams owner David Clowes, the Derbyshire property developer that bought the club out of administration in the summer of 2022, has been looking for new investors since 2024. Clowes has previously stated that he is looking for investors who can help the club achieve its goals and improve its financial situation. The club has declined to comment on Al-Sheikh's interest in the Championship side when contacted by the BBC, as have Al-Sheikh's representatives. The IFR has established a new owners, directors, and senior executives test, taking over the responsibility previously held by the English Football League when it came to new investment in Championship sides. The regulator has vowed to 'shut out rogue owners' and ensure that the game is protected from those who would seek to exploit it for their own gain. The regulator's decision will be closely watched by fans and pundits alike, and will have significant implications for the future of Derby County and the English football league as a whole.