Why Sheffield Wednesday takeover saga could drag on until spring - there are two reasons | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are waiting for the EFL to rubber stamp the takeover of the club by a consortium led by James Bord.

The deal to buy Sheffield Wednesday from a consortium led by James Bord may not be completed for at least another month as the EFL continue the process of checking those involved.

It has been a hectic period for the Owls, with the fans having been desperate for former owner Dejphon Chansiri to leave the club.

Whilst they got their wish, Wednesday have been hit with two points deductions, which means relegation is inevitable, and they are still waiting for Chansiri’s successor to be confirmed.

James Bord’s potential takeover of Sheffield Wednesday is still ongoing

After entering administration, there was plenty of interest in Wednesday, and it was confirmed in December that Bord’s consortium had been named as the preferred bidder.

That meant the next step was for Bord and his consortium to complete the necessary EFL checks, which includes passing the owners’ and directors’ test, as well as showing proof of funds.

Much to the frustration of the Wednesday fans, there have been no significant developments on that front in the past six weeks, with the Yorkshire outfit still in limbo as they wait for the takeover to be finalised.

Yet, the Times has revealed why this is taking longer than Wednesday may have hoped. They explain that with German entrepreneur Felix Romer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil, who is part of the Jordanian royal family, involved alongside Bord, it takes more time to conduct these checks on three people as opposed to if there was a single buyer.

Furthermore, they add that with the three people involved all living abroad, it’s another factor that just means this will take longer than normal, with a decision potentially not coming until ‘spring’.

Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate for their new era to start

This has been an extremely tough few years for all connected to Sheffield Wednesday, so it’s understandable that the fans are desperate for some positive news in terms of the takeover.

However, the EFL needs to conduct these checks, and some will argue that they should have been stricter with who they have let buy clubs in the past.

So, it would be wrong to criticise them for the length of time this is taking, as it’s ultimately about ensuring the Bord consortium is the right one to take Sheffield Wednesday forward as a club.

This latest development suggests a decision is not imminent, which is far from ideal when you consider the scale of the rebuild that awaits heading into the summer.

We know the Owls will be in League One, but a lot of work will be required to ensure the club are competitive at that level, and a host of players are out of contract in the summer.

Therefore, a quick decision would be ideal, but, as outlined above, it’s easy to see why this process is a long one, and it will be interesting to see when a formal announcement arrives.