Sheffield Wednesday's failed bidder set to buy six-time title-winners for just €1 | OneFootball

James Bord failed in his bid to takeover Sheffield Wednesday, but he is now set to complete the purchase of fallen French giants Bordeaux.

Former Sheffield Wednesday preferred bidder James Bord is reportedly set to complete a takeover of fallen French giants Bordeaux.

A new era is underway at Wednesday after David Storch's Arise Capital Partners consortium saved the club from administration earlier this year, but it could all have been very different for the South Yorkshire outfit.

James Bord failed with Sheffield Wednesday bid before David Storch takeover

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Storch has made a positive impression during the first few months of his tenure, but the American had initially looked set to miss out on a deal for Wednesday after Bord was instead named as preferred bidder last December.

Bord is currently the owner of Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic and has stakes in Spanish club Córdoba and Bulgarian outfit Septemvri Sofia, while he also previously worked as an advisor to Sheffield United, where he was instrumental in the introduction of a data-driven recruitment model and the controversial decision to part company with manager Chris Wilder last summer.

Given his links to Bramall Lane, it certainly raised a few eyebrows when Bord was chosen as the preferred bidder for the Owls, and many had doubts over the deal, including long-serving captain Barry Bannan, who opted to depart for Millwall in January due to concerns about the proposed takeover.

Bord's bid, which was believed to be worth £47.8 million, was significantly bigger than Wednesday's other suitors, putting him in pole position to secure a deal for the club, but his consortium withdrew from negotiations in February, explaining that the "historic mishandling of the club and pattern of catastrophic underinvestment" meant that their "sizeable" bid could "no longer be justified".

However, just over six months after his bid for the Owls collapsed, it seems Bord is set to add another club to his growing network as he closes in on a takeover of Bordeaux.

James Bord set to strike Bordeaux takeover deal after Sheffield Wednesday miss

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While Wednesday have had their fair share of off-field troubles, few clubs have had a fall from grace quite as dramatic as Bordeaux.

Bordeaux have won the French top flight title on six occasions, the most recent of which was in the 2008-09 season, but they have plummeted down the leagues in recent years due to an ongoing financial crisis.

After being taken over by Gerard Lopez in 2021, Bordeaux were relegated from Ligue 1 for the first time in 30 years during his first season in charge, and, just two years later, they were administratively relegated from Ligue 2 as the scale of their financial problems became clear.

However, rather than dropping into the third tier, Bordeaux were instead demoted to the fourth tier after a proposed takeover by Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group fell through, which saw the club lose their professional status.

Bordeaux suffered further turmoil this summer as they were excluded from national competitions due to debts of around €26 million, resulting in them being placed in Régional 1, the sixth tier of French football, and there were fears that they could soon head in the same direction as Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron and Portuguese club Boavista, who were both liquidated under Lopez's ownership.

Bord had appeared to cool his interest in Bordeaux after their latest setback, but French outlet Sud Ouest claim that a compromise deal has now been reached that will see him acquire the club for a nominal sum of just €1 after Lopez agreed to renounce half of the debt that was owed to him.

Bordeaux will be a bigger challenge for James Bord than Sheffield Wednesday

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If Bord was deterred by the scale of the rebuild required at Wednesday, then the size of the task facing him at Bordeaux is even greater.

Bord is purchasing Bordeaux for just €1, compared to the £47.8 million he bid for the Owls, but the journey back to the top of French football could be a long and painful one, while significant investment will be needed to repair the damage caused by Lopez's disastrous tenure.

Given his somewhat mixed record in football ownership, there are question marks over whether Bord is the right man to help restore Bordeaux to their former glories, but, as they are historically one of the biggest clubs in France and still retain a large fanbase despite their recent problems, it is an exciting opportunity for the former Wednesday bidder.