Former Crystal Palace majority shareholder, John Textor, has registered his interest in taking over crisis club Sheffield Wednesday.
Players and staff of the Championship side have not received their wages on time for three months in a row and pulled out of a friendly against Burnley last weekend.
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Wednesday’s issues are no closer to being resolved and new ownership looks like the only solutionCredit: Getty
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Textor has now admitted his interest, weeks on from selling his stake in PalaceCredit: Rex
Problems have been ongoing for well over a year under owner Dejphon Chansiri and there are increasing fears they may not be able to fulfil their season opener, which is due to be live on talkSPORT, with transfer embargoes reducing their squad size dramatically.
Yet despite all of those issues, Textor is interested in four-time English champions Wednesday, having just sold his majority stake in Crystal Palace in controversial circumstances.
The American businessman told the Sheffield Star, per PA news agency: “It’s true that I am looking for a traditional English club to buy, or with which I can partner…
“I just have not spoken with anybody at Sheffield Wednesday yet and I am monitoring the situation, hoping to better understand it.
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“I’m definitely interested. It’s a lot to solve in a short amount of time with regards to taking advantage of the transfer window but it’s definitely a club and community I would like to help.
“I often cite [Wednesday] as an example of what’s wrong with football today. The lack of parity, because of the influence of money and I wish there was a system where the Sheffield Wednesdays of the world could be champions again.”
With the Owls situation worsening, players released a joint-statement saying that it has ‘been a worrying time for us as players’ and that they ‘are extremely concerned at the lack of clarity regarding what is happening’.
Textor, meanwhile, is the head of Eagle Football group which started the year with majority stakes at Palace, Lyon, Botafogo and RWDM Brussels.
He has faced controversy at all four of those clubs, with Palace fans still angered that his shares in Lyon blocked the FA Cup winners from competing in the upcoming Europa League due to multi-club ownership rules.
Lyon were also administratively relegated under his watch, a decision that was only reversed once Textor stepped down as club president.
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Textor has had a busy year, but wants to get straight back into English footballCredit: AFP
South American champions Botafogo this week asked Lyon for €65million in financial compensation as they believe they sold three players to them for ‘favourable prices’.
Meanwhile at RWDM (Racing White Daring Molenbeek), the ownership group had to U-turn due to fan backlash over their proposed name change to ‘Daring Brussels’.
Textor has previously looked at buying other English teams including Watford and Everton.
talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan previously revealed Textor was looking at buying a different English side, and he recommended Wednesday.
“This is a club that I think has huge opportunity and that’s one of the reasons I was trying to get the Saudis to buy it,” he said on Breakfast.
“I was talking to John Textor the other day saying if he comes out of Palace, that is the football club he should be buying.
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Jordan firmly believes that Wednesday are a sleeping giantCredit: Getty
“I think it’s a club you can buy and get huge momentum behind. There’s no doubt in my mind that a properly run Sheffield Wednesday with proper momentum, policies, disciplines and focus on what it’s doing should be at the top end of the Championship and looking at the Premier League.”
Wednesday’s Championship season gets underway against Leicester on August 10 despite the fact they have just 16 players registered, as per transfermarkt.
One of those is captain Barry Bannan, who spoke to talkSPORT earlier this week to reveal there wouldn’t be a strike like there was with the Burnley friendly.
Asked if there will be any potential further strikes, he said: “No, I don’t think so.
“We obviously pulled out the Burnley game at the weekend, that was simply because it’s happened too much now, and I think it’s a lot easier to pull out of a pre-season friendly game than it is a Championship fixture.
“We’ve come into training and just got on with it, and made it look to the outside world that we’re fine with it, we’re just getting on with it, so that was our choice then to say ‘enough is enough’.”
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Bannan told talkSPORT he and his teammates won’t jeopardise their season openerCredit: Getty
The EFL have since provided an update from their end, saying that the ownership needs to make a step and that the opening match will be fulfilled.
“The EFL stands alongside all those associated with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club who are deeply concerned and frustrated by the ongoing and developing challenges at the club,” the EFL wrote.
“The League wants to see a strong, stable and competitive Sheffield Wednesday, and for that to happen we are clear that the current owner needs either to fund the club to meet its obligations or make good on his commitment to sell to a well-funded party, for fair market value – ending the current uncertainty and impasse.
“We continue to pursue options available to us to resolve the current challenges, and to that end the League is currently in advanced discussions with Mr Chansiri’s legal advisors on formalising a process around divestment of his shareholding in the club.
“The EFL Board met on Wednesday morning to receive a comprehensive update and, following recent speculation, the League can confirm that there are no restrictions on the club starting the season on Sunday as planned.”