Sheffield Wednesday, the financially ailing Championship club, is back on the market after the James Bord proposal fell through, so here’s who has been linked with a fresh bid for them.

Sheffield Wednesday’s fortunes haven’t changed much in 2026, either on or off the ground. Relegation from the Championship occurred in record time, the shortest in the EFL’s 138-year existence, and they may become the first League club to be relegated with a negative points total.

Off the pitch, things have been slightly better. As January progressed, it became clear that something was clearly ‘wrong’ about the bid made by a group led by professional gambler James Bord.

The consortium’s gambling links were under significant EFL inspection, and by the time it fully broke apart, the fact that it wouldn’t be moving forward didn’t come as much of a surprise as it could have.

As a result of all of this, Sheffield Wednesday is back on the market, and everyone is starting over when it comes to predicting what the future holds for this venerable old club. There is still interest in purchasing the team, but it now appears unlikely that they will be able to avoid a 15-point deduction in League. One next season, so here’s who’s been linked with a transfer to the club since Bord’s bid failed.

Mike Ashley

Mike Ashley, the former owner of Newcastle United, is the most well-known of those who have indicated interest in purchasing Sheffield Wednesday, but he is also possibly the most contentious. Ashley’s previous £20 million attempt to buy the club was largely viewed as a “low-ball” offer that would be easily surpassed by others.

And, while there has been much talk in recent days about the £100 million that he intends to invest in the club, it should be noted that, given the extent to which Sheffield Wednesday’s already thin first-team squad may be even thinner by the summer, as well as the amount of work required elsewhere around the club, this may not even be the massive sum of money that has been suggested.

Furthermore, Ashley’s previous engagement in football has been fraught with scandal. There were sustained protests against him in Newcastle, as well as north of the border at Rangers, and he did not endear himself to Coventry City fans when, after purchasing their CBS Arena home, he served the club with an eviction notice as part of a dispute over the terms of their lease at the time.

All of this has been settled, with the stadium eventually being sold to Coventry owner Doug King, who is far from a popular person.

The Storch family and David McEvoy

With the advantage of hindsight, we can see that the Storch family’s comments on the eve of the Bord offer for the club was a warning sign of what was to come.

The company was thought to be among the front-runners to buy the club out of insolvency, thanks in large part to their ties to wealthy businessman and music agent David McEvoy, whose clients included the Sheffield-based band Reverend & The Makers.

David Storch had previously shown his interest in the club and was named third-choice in December, alongside Bord’s group and Ashley. At the time, he stated: “We have made an offer.” We believe it is a reasonable offer that follows our interpretation of the rules and laws of the land. We will not proceed with a 15-point deduction. The offer we submitted specifies that we will not accept the 15-point reduction.”

The statement issued following the club’s relegation from the Championship after losing at Sheffield United on the last weekend of February indicated that their interest has not waned, and previous comments suggest that this bid may be the club’s best chance of avoiding the much-discussed 15-point deduction for next season.

Anders Holch Povlsen

There had been speculation that Anders Holch Povlsen, the Danish billionaire owner of FC Midtyjlland, may be persuaded to return to the bargaining table if, as appears to be the case this time, the bidding for the club is significantly lower than it was last December.

Hopes for a resurrection of this bid, however, did not last long, with the BBC’s Dale Johnson stating shortly afterwards on the social media site X that, “Anders Holch Povlsen would not be resuming his interest in Sheffield Wednesday.” Given Povlsen’s fortune – Forbes estimated him to be worth $16.8 billion (£12.6 billion) in May 2025 – and previous expertise owning a Danish club, this revelation will have disappointed many Sheffield Wednesday fans.

Ryan Howsam and Simon Jordan

Another potential buyer linked to a possible purchase of the club was Dubai-based insurance magnate Ryan Howsam, who is associated with former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan.

However, there are two main difficulties with Howsam’s proposed bid for the club. To begin, the Sheffield Star reported last week that he stated, “there’s no way I will be paying the minimum amount to get the club without a sanction,” referring to the EFL’s rules requiring buyers of clubs in administration to meet a dividend threshold to creditors of 25p in the pound in order to avoid a further 15-point deduction next season.

Second, recent global events may have abruptly and unexpectedly turned Howsam’s attention away from making a bid for Sheffield Wednesday. Since Howsam is or was headquartered in Dubai, his mind may be preoccupied with other concerns at the moment, and time is surely running out in the case of Sheffield Wednesday’s sale.