Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit reacts to 'massive' Mike Ashley, Sheffield Wednesday takeover news | OneFootball

The former Newcastle United owner has been linked with a £10 million purchase of Sheffield Wednesday

EFL pundit Lee Hendrie believes that Sheffield Wednesday fans will be "over the moon" if former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley purchases the club.

The Owls have been in administration for over a week now, and all signs are pointing to the period lasting a lot shorter than seen at the likes of Derby County and Wigan Athletic.

Multiple separate interested parties have provided proof of £50 million in funds to take the club further once a purchase has been made, and leading that charge, according to a report from The Guardian, is Mike Ashley.

The former Newcastle owner hasn't been involved in football ownership since he sold the Magpies to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in 2021, but was recently the owner of the CBS Arena, until Coventry City owner Doug King bought the ground in August.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes that the interest of the 52nd richest person in the UK is great news for the club, believing that he could be the man to take the club forward.

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, Lee Hendrie spoke about the reports linking Mike Ashley with a takeover at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Guardian stated that Ashley is looking to bid £10 million to buy the club, which will likely be considered after showing he can put down £50 million in proof of funds.

"Mike Ashley knows the game; he's been around it plenty to understand what £10 million is for Sheffield Wednesday," Hendrie said.

"If he can secure the deal, it'd be massive. He's business-minded, and he has the potential to take the club forward as a man who knows all about the industry.

"So it would be great news for Sheffield Wednesday, it's just whether a deal can get done for £10 million. That's what would probably be the holding factor."

Reports have stated that the sale itself is an open auction to those who can provide the necessary funds, so it's now a waiting game to see whether Ashley's reported £10 million will be the highest bid when it comes to facilitating a sale.

Hendrie feels that if he is, it'll be a great piece of news for Sheffield Wednesday.

"Mike Ashley would be great for the football club, and I'm sure the fans would be over the moon with it," Hendrie concluded.

Exciting times on the horizon for Sheffield Wednesday

For Wednesday fans, it's all about waiting patiently for takeover news to come. EFL rules state that a club has to remain on the market for at least 28 days after entering administration, so there'll be another couple of weeks at least filled with rumours about who will be the person to take the club on.

Interest in purchasing the club has been rife. "Four or five serious bidders" came to the front mere days after the administration was announced, so the hopes of Wednesday having a new owner by the end of the year are incredibly high.

Whether that new owner will be Mike Ashley, or whether £10 million will be enough to buy the club, is yet to be seen, but it'll be interesting to see how this develops.

Regardless of a fee or whoever's leading the takeover bid, Wednesday fans will be relieved that there's a big interest in purchasing the club, and after a torrid few months at the end of Dejphon Chansiri's reign, there's clear daylight at the end of the tunnel.