With Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation and subsequent status at the bottom of the Championship confirmed, all eyes are on the coming season.

Arise Capital Partners, comprised of David Storch, Michael Storch, and Tom Costin, was declared as the new preferred bidder for Hillsborough last week, barely weeks after James Bord’s consortium withdrew from the proceedings.

It was some rare good news to conclude a string of negative and unsettling tales from the club, but as Wednesday fans have come to expect, there were some qualifiers.

The Owls will start next season with a 15-point deduction because the bid made by the new preferred bidders does not cover the 25p in the pound required under the EFL’s insolvency guidelines to repay creditors.

But that doesn’t appear to be all, as the club is currently subject to financial restrictions that prevent them from paying a fee for a new player until the summer transfer window of 2027, as well as a wage cap restriction that would limit the club’s wage budget to £7 million, with players not being paid more than £7,000 per week.

Arise employs a prominent sports lawyer to handle legal problems following owner checks.

According to the Sheffield Star, David Storch is currently undergoing the EFL’s Owners and Directors test, with the goal of completing the takeover by May.

The report also states that Nick De Marco has been called in to handle any legal issues that may arise as a result of the checks and contacts with the EFL.

De Marco is a sports lawyer in Blackstone Chambers, where he has worked for nearly 25 years. The Blackstone Chambers website defines him as the “go-to” for any football conflicts, and in 2023, he was named one of the four most highly respected sports silks in the UK.

In 2024, he defended Benjamin Mendy in a victorious trial against Manchester City, when the Frenchman was judged to be owed the majority of his unpaid pay near the end of his stint with the club, which were withheld after he was accused with sex crimes.

While the 15-point deduction appears irreversible, there is some hope that, based on negotiations with the EFL, these wage and fee limitations can be relaxed, giving the Owls a fighting chance of escaping relegation for the second time in a row next season.

Sheffield Wednesday remain hopeful following Nick De Marco’s appointment.

Sheffield Wednesday will face an uphill task to stay in the League. Next season, they will start with -15 points. Having transfer limitations will almost certainly result in a double demotion.

The Owls need a squad rebuild, but as things stand, they won’t get one, implying that Arise is essentially purchasing a League Two club. Understandably, the Star says that the group is “uncomfortable” with the further fines imposed on the team.

Hopefully, the hiring of a top sports barrister with a proven track record will give Wednesday optimism that there will be some relief and that next season will be a little more enjoyable in terms of overall competition on the field.

As things stand, the club is on its way to being saved, and they hope that this will mark the beginning of a new period, rather than the relics of Dejphon Chansiri’s reign lasting until their constraints expire naturally.