Sheffield Wednesday’s new owner, James Bord, is already deciding who will continue with the Hillsborough club ahead of next season, while the administrators remain in charge.

The Owls became the first team in Championship history to be relegated to League One in February, losing 2-1 to fierce rivals Sheffield United on Sunday.

However, their terrible campaign has been dictated by the fact that former owner Dejphon Chansiri forced them into administration, resulting in several player departures over both transfer windows.

Bord might complete his Wednesday takeover in six weeks, allowing the Steel City club to make a positive step forward for next season.

Kevin Beadell poised to leave Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls have only one victory in 33 Championship efforts this season, demonstrating how far behind the rest of the league their team is.

In fact, administrator Kris Wigfield disclosed that Wednesday’s salary bill is lower than that of certain League Two clubs, with one second-tier player earning more than Henrik Pedersen’s entire squad.

As a result, if Bord completes his takeover of the Owls, one of his primary responsibilities will be to assemble a squad capable of contending in League One next season, with recruitment being a key component of this process.

However, as reported by BBC Sheffield and the Sheffield Star, Wednesday’s Head of Recruitment, Kevin Beadell, is scheduled to leave Hillsborough at the end of the month.

According to The Star, authorities told Beadell of the decision three weeks ago, despite the fact that he has been working on a rolling monthly contract since December 2023.

The Head of Recruitment had been informed that Bord’s consortium intends to take their own approach to recruitment once their acquisition is completed, which is likely to include Bord’s AI-related approaches, which he introduced into the fold at Sheffield United for a limited period.

Young players, primarily from Bulgarian clubs, as well as Peruvian forward Jefferson Caceres, were brought in, but the Blades’ AI effort proved to be a failure, with Bord leaving the club before becoming Wednesday’s preferred bidder.

Kevin Beadell’s decision could suggest Sheffield Wednesday, Henrik Pedersen’s leaving call.

According to the Star, the administrators made the decision to terminate connections with Beadell on Wednesday in light of the South Yorkshire club’s continuing financial difficulties.

The Owls currently have no one working on recruitment until Bord takes over control, assuming he passes the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test.

Meanwhile, if the takeover is delayed until May, the Independent Football Regulator, not the EFL, will be in charge of ratifying it.

However, Bord’s decision to adopt his own method to recruitment, away from Beadell, suggests that the American intends to make substantial changes in S6 ahead of Wednesday’s League One season.

As a result, the Owls’ prospective owner appears to be more inclined to select a new manager than to retain Pedersen in charge at Hillsborough.

Danny Rohl’s former assistant has done an outstanding job as a figurehead, maintaining unity in the Wednesday group despite an extremely difficult season.

Despite the testing constraints imposed on his squad, a string of dismal outcomes has not lent credence to his managing abilities.

If Bord is given the go-ahead for his Wednesday takeover, he will want to choose a manager who can guide the South Yorkshire club back to the Championship at the first attempt.

Pedersen’s record does not prove that he is the appropriate man for the job, and in addition to a fresh-look squad, a new head coach may be required to guide the Owls back to the second tier.