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Nottingham Forest’s arch-rivals Derby County could be sold for less than the price of a bar of chocolate, if reports are to be believed.

Owner Mel Morris has admitted his desire to seek new investment at Pride Park, following the club’s failure to secure promotion to the Premier League, with suggestions the Rams are losing between £1m and £2m each month.

The Times suggest Morris is keen to sell the club for just £1, as long as the debts are paid back during the process.

Morris, who became the club’s sole owner in 2015 has invested more than £100m in the club, with latest estimates claiming that figure is close to £161m.

The local businessman has also stated that spending cannot continue at the current rate, with the club still in the Championship and their levels of finance unsustainable.

"It’s impossible to spend at the level we have year after year," Morris has said previously.

(Image: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Morris has also said he would be open-minded about the prospect of outside investment, as long as it was in the best interests of the Rams.

According to the Times, Derby have received interest from the United States, as well as the Far East, though no formal bid has yet been received.

"Morris is understood to have received several proposals from interested parties willing to take on a percentage of the club’s debt to him, plus the promise of further staged payments if Derby are promoted to the Premier League, but has yet to find any acceptable and is holding out for a better deal,” said the Times’ report.

This is the Rams 11th successive campaign in the second tier of English football and currently they sit just one point outside the play-off places with nine games left.

Their hopes of reaching a fourth play-off semi-final in the last six seasons took a big hit last month when they were beaten 1-0 at the City Ground, courtesy of Yohan Benalouane’s fourth minute strike, handing Forest local bragging rights and the Brian Clough Trophy for the first time since 2015.