It was suggested that, should the takeover be completed quickly and Morris no longer involved with the club, then any potential points deduction to the club would be reduced from "double figures". Against this background of uncertainty, various Derby supporter's groups came together to publish an open letter to the club, asking for clarification on, amongst other things, the situation regarding any potential takeover, the possibility of supporter representation on the board, and the club's ability to satisfy any EFL criteria to remove the transfer embargo the club was running under. The club's official response stated that Mel Morris had been in discussions with "numerous parties", the deal with No Limits Sports Limited was dead, and that supporter representation would be considered. It also reiterated the desire to keep "supporters and stakeholders as informed as possible (though) this may not always be possible due to confidentiality obligations." It was announced on 29 May that Graeme Shinnie had won the club's Player of the Season and Lee Buchanan the club's Young Player of the Season. The club announced its retained list on 14 June 2021. Of the first-team Emmanuel Idem, Scott Carson, Scott Malone, Jonathan Mitchell and Florian Jozefzoon were all confirmed to be leaving the club, whereas Andre Wisdom, Martyn Waghorn, Jack Marriott, Curtis Davies and Henrich Ravas were in talks about new deals. The inclusion of Marriott, who it had been announced had signed a contract extension earlier in the season, was explained by the fact that the deal had had approval withdrawn by the EFL due to the ongoing appeal over amortisation. Players Current squad Transfers Transfers in Loans in Loans out Transfers out Pre-season and friendlies Competitions Overview EFL Championship League table Results summary Results by matchday Matches The 2020–21 season fixtures were released on 21 August. FA Cup The draw for the Third Round proper of the FA Cup was made on 30 November 2020, live on BBC Sport, by Robbie Savage. Derby were handed a potential banana-skin tie, as they were drawn away to Chorley of the National League North (sixth tier), the lowest ranked side they had played in club history. After a COVID-19 outbreak at Derby's training ground the Monday prior to the game, it was announced that Derby's first-team players and management would have to miss the game due to going into self-isolation, with the fixture instead being fulfilled by players and