Derby County fans accuse the club’s would-be owner Erik Alonso of passing off a £42m TikTok house as his own after he posted a year-old video on Twitter… while he fails to provide proof of funds to complete his takeover
- Prospective Derby owner Erik Alonso tweeted a video of a luxury mansion
- Writing ‘Good Morning’, the Spaniard appeared to pass property off as his own
- But the same clip, with identical backing track, was on TikTok in April last year
- It was posted by Los Angeles-based luxury real estate agent Davis Pfaff
- Fans on social media were quick to see through Alonso’s ruse
- Alonso’s takeover of the Pride Park club has stalled over proof he has the funds
Prospective Derby County owner Erik Alonso has been rumbled by eagle-eyed fans after apparently trying to pass off a £42million mansion as his own.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, whose deal to buy the Championship club has stalled after he was unable to provide the EFL with proof of funds, posted a Twitter video showing off a lavishly decorated home with panoramic views.
Alonso captioned the tweet ‘Good Morning’ as though suggesting he was filming from inside the property.
Prospective Derby County owner Erik Alonso has been rumbled by eagle-eyed fans after apparently trying to pass off a £42million mansion as his own on social media
But Derby fans quickly saw through the ruse, spotting that the exact same video clip, with identical music, had been posted by Los Angeles-based luxury real estate agent Davis Pfaff back on April 11 last year.
Posting the TikTok clip to the backing track of Lose Control by Meduza, Becky Hill and Goodboys, Pfaff wrote: $60,000,000 Living Room vibes!’
One fan quote tweeted Alonso’s post and asked: ‘Is that really your house Erik, or have you just saved that video from TikTok?’
Another posted: ‘Derby’s potential new owner, Erik Alonso, has been asked by the EFL to prove that he has the funds to run a football club.
‘This morning he tweeted a video of a very fancy house. Only issue is it looks VERY similar to a very fancy house on TikTok.’
Stan Collymore wrote on Twitter in response: ‘Erik Alonso. He can use my house next time if he likes. Tik Tok literally for Derby County.’
Alonso’s tweet on Tuesday was an 11-second clip filmed inside a luxury property
But the video – and the music accompanying it – was identical to a TikTok clip posted by LA-based real estate agent David Pfaff in April 2020
The original caption of the TikTok video by Pfaff said the property was worth $60million
Stan Collymore gave his reaction on Twitter to Alonso’s use of the house video
It comes as Alonso, a football agent and boxing promotor, struggles to prove he has the funds to take over Derby, who narrowly avoided relegation to League One on Saturday.
The EFL’s owners and director test checks on Alonso’s suitability have ground to a half after he failed to provide the money required.
As Sportsmail revealed over the weekend, Alonso was asked by the EFL to deposit £35million in a British bank account a fortnight ago to prove he has funds to finance a takeover – but no cash has been forthcoming and Alonso has broken off contact.
The 29-year-old insists the buy-out remains on course, privately telling current Derby owner Mel Morris that he remains optimistic the deal can be concluded.
Alonso has claimed he could invest up to £150m into Derby, who are managed by former England captain Wayne Rooney.
Alonso has formerly been linked to takeovers at Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City
Derby owner Mel Morris (above) will continue to fund the club until he finds a buyer
Manager Wayne Rooney can’t hide his delight as Derby dramatically secured their Championship status with a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday
Sportsmail reported last week that Alonso attempted to secure a £20million loan with US lenders, guaranteed against the club’s stadium Pride Park and other club assets. He denies this.
It has been reported he might be backed by Indonesian businessman Raja Sapta Oktohari, although no evidence has been produced and Alonso himself has said: ‘It’s just me.’
Oktohari has also denied he is involved in Alonso’s Derby bid, saying last month: ‘The news is not true. I do know Erik Alonso. I knew him from boxing, not football. I don’t know what his motive is.’
Alonso has been linked to takeovers at Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City in the past, neither of which materialised.
Derby could still be relegated this season for a breach of Financial Fair Play rules with the EFL racing against time to apply the points deduction punishment which would see them drop into the third tier.