Who could be Sheffield Wednesday's preferred bidder on December 5th | OneFootball

Football League World looks at some of the contenders to take over Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be looking forward to December 5 with eager anticipation, as the club's recently-inducted administrators continue to run the rule over the future custody of the club following Dejphon Chansiri's departure from Hillsborough.

Although no Wednesdayite would have ideally wanted the club to enter administration, it has ultimately represented a success for the Owls by ridding the South Yorkshire outfit of Chansiri's disastrous ownership.

EFL embargoes and continued delayed payments of wages were recurring themes of the Thai businessman's tenure in charge of the club, which was brought to an end — alongside incurring a 12-point deduction — two weeks ago after Wednesday went into administration.

Despite continued uncertainty surrounding Wednesday's future, the damage left by Chansiri and the consequential inevitability of competing in League One next season, there is a refreshing feel-good factor around Hillsborough right now. Importantly, fans know that, though the short-term damage from Chansiri will not be going anywhere, the club now finds itself well-placed to start afresh under new ownership and can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Amid Wednesday's on and off-pitch plight, there has been no shortage of interest in purchasing the Steel City side.

As reported by BBC Radio Sheffield, ten parties have shown proof of funds to Wednesday's current administrators in a bid to take over the club. Offers can be submitted until 21 November, before the administrators will undertake a two-week negotiation period ahead of Friday, 5 December, where they will have to name a preferred bidder.

But who is currently in the running to take over from Chansiri? Football League World takes a closer look at those who have been linked in recent times, and who have not yet been ruled out of contention...

5 ? ? Mike Ashley

One name continually linked with a potential takeover of Wednesday is ex-Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, who has not been involved in football since the sale of the Magpies to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund four years ago.

Ashley's time in the North East was divisive and he ultimately departed as an unpopular figure among Newcastle supporters, yet, considering Wednesday's crisis, he would find himself much more welcomed by the Owls faithful.

Reports have claimed that Ashley is preparing a £10m bid to seal the deal at Hillsborough, and is said to have already provided proof of funds — with a demonstration of £50m reportedly required in order to enter contention for a takeover of the Championship's bottom-placed side.

Ashley, of course, is extremely wealthy, and is also known to the EFL owing to his reign at Newcastle, which would make for few complications in the mandated Fit and Proper Person Test should his efforts get that far.

John Textor, meanwhile, is another name which has not disappeared from takeover speculation in the blue-and-white quarters of the Steel City across recent months, with the American billionaire — worth a reported $3.4 billion (£2.5 billion) — having reportedly expressed an interest in taking over a number of Championship clubs.

Textor represents a strongly-experienced figure in this department, as he's the owner of Eagle Football Holdings, a group that owns Botafogo of Brazil, French giants Lyon and Belgian side RWDM Brussels. The 61-year-old also previously owned a stake in 2025 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, and is said to be eager to add an English club back to his portfolio after stepping away from the Eagles.

Wednesday are described as Textor's number-one choice, though the American is reportedly interested in Wolves, Charlton Athletic, Derby County, QPR and Watford, too.

Textor was linked to a potential takeover of Wednesday long before Chanisiri's exit, and he will surely be hoping to get the nod from the club's administrators in the coming weeks.

3 ? ? John McEvoy

In contrast to the likes of Ashley and Textor, John McEvoy is hardly a known name in the football ownership sphere or on domestic shores as a whole, although he is one of the more recent figures to be credited with interest in the Owls.

Yet another American businessman with what appears to be a genuine interest in completing the purchase of an EFL side, McEvoy's actual wealth is not well-known. However, McEvoy is known to be a successful entrepreneur, having notably founded mobile device company Mobile Solution, and reportedly held stakes in MLB franchise Colorado Rockies and NHL's Nashville Predators.

According to a report from The Star, McEvoy undertook a tour of Wednesday's facilities this week. While that hardly means he's guaranteed to be Chansiri's successor, with at least two other interested parties having reportedly done the same in recent weeks, it does place him as yet another genuine contender to take over the crisis-stricken outfit.

Adam Shaw hasn't been at the forefront of takeover speculation at Hillsborough in recent times, although his US-based consortium previously saw two bids worth £48 million and then £55 million rejected and, with Chansiri now out of the picture, one may wonder whether his interest will, or already has, re-emerged.

Born in Sheffeld, the Florida-based figure actually grew up as a Wednesday supporter and has enjoyed a successful, and admirable, entrepreneurial career through mental health services. In 2016, Shaw launched the Shawmind charity and played an instrumental role in the mandating of children's mental health education, while he also founded TriggerHub - an organisation dedicated to helping both individuals and other organisations through "relatable mental health experiences" alongside reducing stigma and strengthening workplace culture.

It must be stressed that Shaw hasn't recently been linked with taking over the club, but with his previous interest remaining little secret, his name can't be ruled out of contention either.

One of the more interesting links to the impending takeover Wednesday has been that of an unnamed European-based group, the reveal of which carries both mystery and a sense of intrigue.

Alan Nixon of The Sun — via his exclusive Patreon service — recently claimed that the undisclosed group is among the bidders for the Owls. Described as a "talent-spotting" group, it's said that the mystery consortium intends to use Wednesday as a platform to develop and showcase future talent, with the club ultimately a "shop window".

They reportedly have a similar strategy to Danish side Midjytlland, and, if executed correctly, this sort of plan could help Wednesday become much more financially sustainable. Not much else is clear on the interest at this moment of time, but Wednesdayites will be watching on eagerly to see how this one progresses.