Why John Textor would want to seal Sheffield Wednesday takeover | OneFootball

It has been suggested that John Textor could be part of a group to purchase Sheffield Wednesday.

John Textor is part of an American consortium that is interested in buying Sheffield Wednesday, as the Championship club look for someone to purchase the club from Dejphon Chansiri.

The Owls’ financial issues are well-known, with the owner having failed to pay the wages on time for the past few months, which has brought sanctions from the EFL.

Wednesday lost several key players as a result, along with boss Danny Rohl, and those that are left at the club refused to play in a pre-season friendly against Burnley last week.

So, with the new Championship season starting this weekend, Wednesday are in a dire situation, and, for many connected to the club, it’s all about getting a new owner in place if the club are to be able to kick-on.

Whether Textor is the right man is open to debate given his mixed record in the game, with the American businessman having been involved with Crystal Palace, Lyon and Botafogo, among other clubs, with varying degrees of success.

However, it’s easy to see why he would be keen on the Yorkshire outfit, and here we outline part of the appeal to Textor…

3 The room for growth at Sheffield Wednesday is huge

Firstly, from a business perspective, it’s easy to see the room for growth with Wednesday.

Whoever takes over will inherit a club in a difficult situation, and the reality is that avoiding relegation to League One would be a fantastic achievement this season.

However, with the right investment, and a few shrewd decisions, they could be competing for promotion to the Premier League once again in the next few years.

We know the riches on offer in the top-flight, and if Wednesday did return to the highest level, the value of the club would increase immediately, and it would turn out to be an excellent business decision for Textor and the investors.

2 Sheffield Wednesday have a big fan base

Following on from that, Wednesday have the support base to help the club grow in the years to come.

The importance of improving your own revenues is clear in the modern game, and it feels like there is a lot of untapped potential at Wednesday. They have a famous old stadium, a rich history, and the supporters will turn up in their numbers if things are right on the pitch.

The term ‘sleeping giant’ is used a lot in football, but it does feel fair to Sheffield Wednesday, as they are a well-known name in English football.

Whilst the past counts for nothing now, the fan base is there, and it could help drive the club forward under the right ownership.

With events at Palace and Lyon over the summer, it’s fair to say that Textor is not the most popular person in football right now.

His work at those two clubs does offer cause for concern, although it should be said that he has overseen a hugely successful period with Brazilian club Botafogo.

However, the multi-club fiasco involving Palace and Lyon this summer will have taken its toll, and it seems like Textor has been in the news for off-field issues all summer.

He will be at a stage where he wants to feel the love again, and Wednesday is a project that could offer him just that.

If he purchased the club from Chansiri, he will become popular straight away, and that can help build a bond between the fans and himself - and then Wednesday will be hoping he has learnt from previous mistakes.