Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit issues grave Sheffield Wednesday transfer warning - "they’ll be looking at leaving" | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie issues a stark warning to the Owls if Dejphon Chansiri fails to sort things out

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes Sheffield Wednesday are at risk of losing key players in January if owner Dejphon Chansiri fails to resolve the club's ongoing crisis.

This warning comes as Thai businessman Chansiri continues to face mounting pressure to sell the stricken Owls, but is apparently unwilling to budge from his £100m valuation.

Furthermore, journalist Alan Nixon reported on Sunday that the owner is wanting to delay the need for a sale by securing investment from abroad.

Nixon mentioned how Wednesday were able to meet their financial requirements for August through this method - which suggests Chansiri now wants to retain control rather than sell.

Lee Hendrie's warning to Sheffield Wednesday over January departures

Speaking exclusively to FLW about Sheffield Wednesday's situation, former Aston Villa midfielder Hendrie issued a stark warning about the potential consequences if Chansiri fails to sort things out.

"I think if Sheffield Wednesday don’t sort the situation out, I think the players that they’ve got there - the so-called better players, I think they’ll be looking at leaving the football club," Hendrie told FLW.

"I’m sure there’ll be clubs that will be looking at who’s got potential, who can move on - and this is the problem that Sheffield Wednesday are going to have."

The former Aston Villa midfielder's concerns appear well-founded given the chaos that Wednesday have endured this past summer with player exits.

Both Josh Windass and Michael Smith terminated their contracts by mutual consent after Chansiri repeatedly failed to pay wages on time, and are now at Championship rivals Wrexham and Preston North End respectively.

Star winger Djeidi Gassama was sold to Rangers well below his market value, at around £2.2m, while Anthony Musaba is believed to have joined Turkish Samsunspor for £800k.

Hendrie continued, "Unless it gets sorted out, players are going to start to feel the effects of the football club of where it’s going, what direction it’s going - and that’s a knock-on effect of where players end up wanting to leave the football club because you feel there’s a downward spiral."

Several other players had their contracts expire without renewal, including Stuart Armstrong, Ben Hamer, Ryo Hatsuse, Michael Ihiekwe, Marvin Johnson, Pol Valentin and Mallik Wilks.

The "better players" Sheffield Wednesday could lose in January

By Hendrie's thoughts, the club's "better players" will be looking to leave South Yorkshire if the situation isn't sorted - and the current squad contains players who could attract interest in January.

Although currently out of action with a shoulder injury, 19-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles has already been the subject of "multi-million" pound bids from West Ham United and Rangers, according to The Independent.

The offers for the Northern Ireland international were both rejected by Wednesday, but you can perhaps guess interest in Charles will be reignited in the winter window regardless of the Owls' situation.

Left-back Max Lowe handed in his notice at the start of August but opted to remain at the club following the start of the season. Football Heaven's Rob Staton told BBC Radio Sheffield at the time that Lowe "is one of Sheffield Wednesday's best players."

Given the Owls sit 23rd in the Championship after five games, a case could probably be made for the majority of senior players wanting to leave if Chansiri is still around by January.

This is what Hendrie means by the knock-on effect it has on the playing squad. Yes, the likes of Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer have shown unwavering loyalty to the club, but if wages aren't paid again at any point leading up to the transfer window, you can't expect all the others to do the same - especially if they're not picking up many points.

Ultimately, unless Chansiri changes course - either by funding the club properly or accepting a realistic sale price - Hendrie's prediction of player departures could become déjà vu for Wednesday.