Race to save The Owls: Sheffield Wednesday receives serious takeover bids
Sheffield Wednesday's administrator has confirmed the club is attracting "four or five" serious bidders and hopes to have new ownership in place before the end of the calendar year. Following Dejphon Chansiri's decision to place the Championship club into administration, the swift sale process aims to secure a financially viable future and inject funds for the January transfer window.
The fight for survival at Sheffield Wednesday is moving quickly, with administrators reporting a surge of credible interest just days after the club entered administration.
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Kris Wigfield, the joint administrator leading the process, revealed on BBC 5 Live that despite having to remain on the market for 28 days under EFL rules, they have already identified numerous interested parties, with "four or five" looking like "the real deal."
Strict criteria for new owners
Wigfield outlined the two critical criteria that potential owners must satisfy before dialogue can even begin:
- Financial viability: Bidders must demonstrate they possess "sufficient funds" to ensure the club's long-term viability and be able to fund the club for the next few years.
- EFL approval: They must be satisfactory candidates to pass the EFL's fit and proper persons test.
"If they can satisfy both of those, then we'll start talking to them seriously," Wigfield confirmed.
Fans fuel the financial lifeline
Wigfield stressed that the sale must be completed swiftly to stabilize the club's finances. He expressed hope that a preferred bidder could be identified by the end of November, allowing the purchase to be concluded this calendar year. This timeline is crucial as it would enable the new owners to participate in the January transfer window.
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In a powerful show of support, Wednesday fans have already injected vital funds into the club. Since the administration announcement on Friday, supporters have spent more than £500,000 on tickets and merchandise.
Despite the monumental fan effort, Wigfield appealed for the support to continue: "We need to keep raising money to be able to pay the wages next Friday... The response has been incredible, but that's what we need." The season's best crowd of 27,261 attended Hillsborough on Saturday, ending a fan boycott and demonstrating the community's determination to keep the Owls afloat.
