Late Sheffield Wednesday takeover drama: David Storch did 'right thing' with Dejphon Chansiri | OneFootball

Dejphon Chansiri has been called out after David Storch's recent decision at Sheffield Wednesday...

Dejphon Chansiri continues to be a talking point at Sheffield Wednesday, with the former owner proving to be problematic for David Storch in recent weeks.

David Storch has taken over at Hillsborough but there are the lingering remains of the Dejphon Chansiri era of the club that will stick around for a while yet, with the club looking to rebuild in League One.

They have avoided starting the next campaign on -15 points, but it was Chansiri's actions that plunged the Owls into administration this term, which saw Sheffield Wednesday handed an 18-point deduction and fast-tracked their relegation from the Championship.

That could have been avoided, but at least they avoided another deduction. Storch's bid fell below the amount required to pay creditors 25p in the pound, with Chansiri the main creditor. However, the reason they avoided that is because an offer worth several million pounds remains on the table from Storch to Chansiri.

The verdict as David Storch makes offer to Dejphon Chansiri

That was a crucial part in the EFL's decision to remove the aforementioned deduction. This is conditional if Wednesday were to achieve promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt, albeit the offer has a short shelf life.

We asked FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna if he thinks Storch is doing the right thing here, especially as Chansiri tried to have the Wednesday takeover scrapped late in the day as well.

He said: "Regarding the offer that David Storch has put to Chansiri, he is doing the right thing. It shows that, during the takeover process, he was trying to engage with creditors and to find a solution.

"He obviously did not want to pay Dejphon Chansiri £18 million and in no way should he have done that. But he was clearly trying to find solutions around it. We know now that Chansiri was refusing him.

"So, by putting out these sorts of offers to Chansiri, he was able to show the EFL how unreasonable Chansiri was being and how farcical it was that a takeover would potentially fail.

"Or even that a club could start on -15 because Chansiri wasn't paid £15 million. We just know that Chansiri is going to reject this deal, so I don't think that Storch is going to end up paying him this money.

"So, yeah, everything has been done right on our side. Yet again, it is the odious Chansiri with his despicable actions and complete lack of business knowledge that is holding up any agreement."

League One promotion is now paramount in 2026/27 for Sheffield Wednesday

For Wednesday, an immediate return from League One in 2026/27 now feels non-negotiable and absolutely paramount due to Storch's offer to Chansiri. However, it goes beyond just that for Sheffield Wednesday.

The longer a club of their size lingers in the third tier, the greater the risk of stagnation. That is financially, structurally, and in terms of attracting players as well. Momentum can quickly fade and there should be plenty at Hillsborough this summer.

That places significant pressure on Storch and his Arise consortium to make a decisive early impact. Recruitment will, naturally, be key; they must identify players with the quality and consistency to handle the demands of League One while still possessing some Championship-level quality.

A fast start in the summer window would set the tone. Building a balanced, resilient squad that is capable of grinding out results as well as controlling games will be essential if Wednesday are to avoid a prolonged stay and work towards being a heavy-hitter in the second tier once more.