Why Turki Alalshikh would want to seal Bristol City takeover instead of Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh has been linked with a move to take over Bristol City

Turki Alalshikh has recently been linked with a bid to take over Bristol City.

The Robins reached the Championship play-offs for the first time in 17 years last term, which signified that they are a club moving in the right direction on a firmly upward trajectory.

All that was called into question however, when Liam Manning swapped Ashton Gate for Carrow Road this summer, which could’ve been interpreted as a lack of faith in Bristol City’s project from the 40-year-old.

Appointed as his replacement was Gerhard Struber, who most recently had managed Bundesliga outfit 1. FC Köln and has previous experience in the English game with Barnsley.

The Robins have continued their flying form from last season into the new campaign, sitting third in the table after five matches and just a single point off league leaders Middlesbrough.

They are one of three sides in the division that are yet to taste defeat and are shaping up to be strong play-off contenders once more.

Amid their current success, it was revealed by journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon channel that Saudi boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh is preparing a bid to buy Bristol City.

Alalshikh has previously been linked with a move to purchase Sheffield Wednesday in the past, with Simon Jordan recommending him to do so, but nothing materialised from there.

In a direct comparison between the two clubs, Football League World have identified why the Saudi boxing promoter would opt to take over Bristol City instead of the Owls.

Bristol City presents a much more attractive geographical location

When Alalshikh was originally linked to Sheffield Wednesday, a major sticking point was the Owls’ location.

More specifically, the fact that they are located in the north of England didn’t appeal to the Saudi billionaire whatsoever.

Instead, it was reported that a southern team was his preference, which would put Bristol City firmly on his radar.

The city of Bristol is situated in the South West of the country and is one of the nation’s warmer locations. There are easy transport links to London and an airport that is connected to other major European cities.

Coupled with the idyllic nature of the area surrounding Ashton Gate, the location of Bristol City clearly puts them ahead of Sheffield Wednesday in the eyes of Alalshikh.

Bristol City are enjoying a positive moment as a club

Back on the football pitch, Bristol City are a more attractive proposition to Alalshikh at this moment in time due to how well they are performing as a club.

As previously mentioned, the Robins achieved play-off football last term and look to have built on that success during the early stages of the current campaign.

Renovations to Ashton Gate have seen the stadium’s infrastructure brought up to a modern standard in recent years, which can’t be said for Sheffield Wednesday in light of their recent safety issues with Hillsborough.

If the Saudi boxing promoter took over City, he would simply be increasing the quality in an already competitive squad, instead of having to pick an entire club up off the brink of collapse.

This would provide him with a much easier and straightforward route into English football, which is another factor as to why the Robins are a better choice than Sheffield Wednesday.

Negotiations with Bristol City may prove to be much more straightforward

Although Steve Lansdown has given no indication that he is up for cashing in on Bristol City, he has previously admitted in the past that he would sell the club to the right buyer.

Having this sort of communication and clarity with an owner you’re trying to buy a team from is a huge plus and will no doubt entice Alalshikh into pursuing a deal for the Robins.

Dejphon Chansiri has proven to have quite the opposite outlook during this summer, putting a £100 million valuation on Sheffield Wednesday to price out any interested parties.

The Thai businessman has shown no indication that he wants to sell the Owls and hasn’t been keen to negotiate openly with potential buyers who have enquired about a takeover.

Instantly, this makes buying Bristol City a much more attractive prospect for Alalshikh, which when combined with the other two factors, seems like the overall better decision.