Sheffield Wednesday make big Henrik Pedersen decision after David Storch meeting | OneFootball

Henrik Pedersen is reportedly set to remain in charge of Sheffield Wednesday next season if David Storch completes his takeover of the club.

As David Storch prepares to complete his takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, it seems he has now made a decision on the future of manager Henrik Pedersen.

After the collapse of James Bord's proposed takeover, Arise Capital Partners — a group led by Storch and also consisting of his son Michael and Tom Costin — were named as the club's new preferred bidder last month, and while a deal is yet to be concluded, significant progress has been made in recent weeks as Wednesday finally look to come out of administration, over five months on from Dejphon Chansiri's exit.

Given the mess Chansiri left behind, Storch will have plenty of work to do, both on and off the pitch, if he is given the green light to buy the Owls, but the first big call he faced was over Pedersen's situation, which has split opinion among the fanbase.

Pedersen took over at Wednesday in July after Danny Rohl departed just over a week before the start of the season, and the mass exodus of key players in the summer meant he has had to work with a threadbare squad, as well as having to contend with no shortage of off-field problems.

However, Pedersen has won just one of his 43 games in charge in all competitions so far, and the Owls suffered the earliest relegation in English football history when their fate was confirmed following defeat to their Steel City rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in February with 13 matches of the season remaining.

David Storch makes huge Henrik Pedersen decision as Sheffield Wednesday takeover looms

It had widely been assumed that Pedersen's exit in the summer was a mere formality, particularly under new ownership, but the mood around his position has shifted in recent weeks.

The first hint about Pedersen's future came last month when he told Danish media that it was "100 percent my expectation" that he would be remaining in charge at Hillsborough next season, although he did also admit that he was "waiting to find out who the new owners will be and what they want".

Pedersen then dropped another big clue that he would be staying on after Wednesday's recent 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town, when he revealed that he was planning to meet with Tractor Boys manager Kieran McKenna during the international break to discuss how he has gone about his rebuild at Portman Road and take some inspiration for his own project in S6.

However, it has now been effectively confirmed that Pedersen will continue as the Owls manager next season if Storch completes his takeover, with The Star reporting that he will be given the opportunity to lead the club's rebuild under the US businessman.

Storch is currently in the UK to hold meetings with a number of key figures at Hillsborough as he closes in on a takeover deal, and he is understood to have spoken with Pedersen, who seemed optimistic about his chances of keeping his job following talks on Wednesday.

"I have a contract two more years and I love to stay here and we have some really good conversations, so I do all that I can to prepare Sheffield Wednesday in the best possible way for a season in League One, and this is to plan the whole pre-season, make profiling for the scouting, to get an overview for all the free transfer in League One, in the Championship and so on. There's a lot to do and we help each other here," Pedersen told The Star.

Bold Henrik Pedersen call is David Storch's first big Sheffield Wednesday gamble

Pedersen has earned plenty of respect and admiration this season for how he has conducted himself in the most challenging of circumstances, but given his poor record, it is fair to say that many supporters have doubts about whether he is the right man to take Wednesday forward long-term.

It could be argued that Pedersen should not be judged on results this season, given that he has had both hands tied behind his back and has had to work with a squad woefully short of the depth and quality needed even to compete at Championship level, so some may feel he deserves a proper chance to show what he can do in a more stable environment.

However, with the Owls looking likely to receive another 15-point deduction in League One next season, Storch is taking a big risk by sticking with Pedersen, and he will be seriously hoping that his faith in the Dane is rewarded.