Over the previous week, the most talked-about topic in the EFL has been Sheffield Wednesday’s future.
Following years of mismanagement by owner Dejphon Chansiri, the Owls were placed into administration last Friday, and the atmosphere at the club has shifted dramatically.
Wednesday fans filled Hillsborough Stadium for their match against Oxford on Saturday, spending more than £500,000 on tickets and in the club’s megastore. It has also been stated that enough money has been raised to cover all club staff salaries for October.
Administrator Kris Wigfield told the BBC this week that there are “four or five serious bids,” and American investor John Textor has expressed an interest in the club after his bid to buy Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers was rejected.
According to the Daily Mail, Mike Ashley is also intrigued and is preparing to make an official approach for the South Yorkshire club.
One of the most important aspects of the approaching sales process is verification of finances from any prospective buyer, and a figure has now been confirmed.
Sheffield Wednesday’s proof of funding figures
According to recent allegations in The Telegraph, Wednesday’s administrators are wanting £50 million in proof of funding from individuals interested in purchasing the club.
According to the Telegraph, the demand is being transmitted to interested parties, with the amount in place to ‘flush out perceived time-wasters’, but bidders are concerned that the price would jump by tens of millions.
According to the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List, Mike Ashley’s current net worth is predicted to be £3.12 billion, while John Textor’s value was defined as anything between “the range of $75 million to $100 million” and £3.4 billion.
Textor recently sold his part of Crystal Palace for a reputed £190 million, and his interest in Wednesday, Wolves, and numerous other Championship clubs suggests that he is ready to return to English football.
Fans will be skeptical of Textor and Ashley; yet, they would get out of difficulty.
Ashley and Textor are no strangers to controversy in English football, and their reputations may influence fan opinion on a potential takeover.
Ashley is one of the most divisive figures in the country’s sport. His 14-year tenure as Newcastle United owner was defined by crowd protests, allegations of a lack of ambition, and ongoing disagreements with the fanbase.
Textor has amassed a portfolio of football clubs representing teams from around the world. His Eagle Football group includes Lyon, Botafogo, and RWD Molenbeek, as well as Crystal Palace, which he owned until earlier this year. The major complaints levelled at his name stem from his multi-club model, which has come under special scrutiny in France and Brazil.
However, Ashley has a track record of keeping a club afloat. His stint in the North East was plagued by a lack of actual improvement; nonetheless, Newcastle never really got into difficulty under his leadership, and his ties with Sports Direct and consequent rebranding of St James’ Park damaged any possibility of a relationship with supporters.
If both Ashley and Textor are deemed credible and genuine by Wednesday’s administrators, they should have no trouble getting through the door and should be viewed as the greatest choice for Sheffield Wednesday moving ahead.
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