Sheffield Wednesday takeover: What is going on with James Bord's exclusivity period? | OneFootball

James Bord continues to fund Sheffield Wednesday's losses as he tries to complete a takeover of the club.

James Bord’s exclusivity period to finalise a deal for Sheffield Wednesday is ongoing providing he continues to fund the losses of the club each month.

The Owls entered administration in October, and the priority since then has been finding a suitable new owner after Dejphon Chansiri's terrible time in charge.

It was then announced that Bord’s consortium had been named as the preferred bidder, so those involved began the process of passing the EFL owners’ and directors’ test after they had been granted a period of exclusivity to complete the deal.

James Bord continues to fund Sheffield Wednesday as he tries to buy the club

Much to the frustration of all connected to Sheffield Wednesday, this has still not been completed, which has prompted some to question whether Bord will be able to buy the Championship strugglers.

As well as that, the Sheffield Star explains how the period of exclusivity granted to Bord was initially due to end on January 31.

Yet, they add that it is now based around a ‘rolling agreement’ which means it is extended every two weeks when Bord makes a ‘six-figure’ payment to cover the Owls’ losses - something he has been doing since he was named as the preferred bidder.

As there is no definitive end date on when the EFL will make a decision on whether they sanction the purchase of Sheffield Wednesday by Bord, this is likely to just continue in the same way.

Essentially, it means as long as he continues to make the payments to cover the losses, it will carry on in the current way.

If that was to change, and Bord’s proposed deal to buy the Owls was to fall through, it had previously been reported that Mike Ashley and the Storch family would be among the parties open to buying the Yorkshire outfit having shown an interest in the past.

Sheffield Wednesday will want ownership situation sorted ahead of 2026/27 season

Sheffield Wednesday have endured a truly terrible season, with relegation to League One likely to be confirmed later this month.

Obviously, at one stage the very future of the club was in doubt, but this will still be frustrating the Owls supporters, who will wonder why this is dragging on. Ultimately, these deals are complex, and it will be interesting to see when it's resolved one way or the other.

In the meantime, Bord is funding the losses at Hillsborough, which is a positive for the club, but in an ideal world, all parties will want this sorted ahead of the 2026/27 season when Sheffield Wednesday will be playing in the third tier, as a lot of work needs to take place to ensure they can be competitive when it comes around.