LONDON (AFP) - The takeover of Derby County by US investors is aimed at turning the Premier League bottom dogs into a global force in football, club chairman Adam Pearson has said.

The Midlands outfit have thrown their lot in with a so-far anonymous consortium who also held talks over a possible takeover of Manchester City before Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra stepped in.

Pearson, who was integral in instigating the buyout, believes the sky is now the limit for County.

In a statement to be published in the matchday programme for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round clash with Preston, Pearson said: "This new investment will establish the Derby County brand worldwide through successful alliances with sporting teams in the USA, the Far East and Africa.

"The key aim is to continue to build the infrastructure of the club at Pride Park and obviously develop a squad which is reknowned as a Premier League force. This will add new financial firepower to the squad."

Pearson became chairman at Derby in October and he has been working on the mulit-million US deal since then.

It was understood the investors will assume the club's 25 million pounds debt, as well as provide boss Paul Jewell with significant funds in the summer.

It is widely anticipated Derby will be relegated at the end of the season as the Rams are currently 13 points adrift of safety with only 15 matches remaining.

They have won just one of their 23 league games this season and are currently on course to break Sunderland's lowest points record of just 15 from the 2005-06 season.