Sheffield Wednesday takeover news: Mike Ashley offer, Storch bid highest, deposit situation | OneFootball

Football League World rounds up all the latest Sheffield Wednesday takeover news

Sheffield Wednesday remain in administration, but supporters could soon be given fresh hope by significant takeover developments.

Former frontrunner James Bord's Wednesday takeover fell through, leaving Mike Ashley and David Storch as the leading candidates to steer the Owls to their next chapter.

The S6 outfit have already been relegated to League One, meaning prospective owners will have to prepare for life in the third tier next term.

Ashley and Storch are vying to become the Owls' next preferred bidder, following the Bord consortium's collapse, and former Sunderland co-owner Charlie Methven is also in the Wednesday takeover picture.

The South Yorkshire side's prospective owners will be subject to the EFL's Owners' and Directors' test, while the Independent Football Regulator will have the powers to ratify takeovers by May.

Football League World rounds up all the latest developments at Hillsborough, as Wednesday's administrators continue their hunt for new owners.

Sheffield Wednesday receive multiple takeover offers

The Owls cannot move forward until new owners are in place, and currently remain in a state of limbo.

Therefore, Wednesday supporters will be pleased to know that, according to the Sheffield Star, the administrators received several offers on Friday.

Administrators Begbies Traynor put a Friday afternoon deadline for formal offers to be placed, with Storch and Ashley remaining the two-leading candidates to be given preferred bidder status.

The Star's Alex Miller added on X that reasons for further considerations over preferred bidders will include the highest bids coming in close together, unvetted parties lodging late bids and that the structure of offers is complicated.

Meanwhile, former Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has backed Ashley's takeover efforts.

Sheffield Wednesday administrators release financial report

Bord lost close to £4million while covering Wednesday's losses when his preferred bidder status was in place.

Meanwhile, the Owls' administrators have released an interim financial report.

Some of the standout figures include that the Hillsborough club have made £1.5m from player sales since entering administration, while administration fees have cost £2.27m at an average hourly rate of £471.50 plus VAT.

Wednesday supporters deserve a great amount of credit for the fact that their club has made £1.01m in merchandise sales since the administrators arrived.

Sheffield Wednesday deposit set to play crucial role in takeover developments

To avoid a 15-point deduction from the EFL next season, the Owls' bidding parties will have to pay the creditors 25p for every £1 owed.

However, Alan Nixon has revealed via Patreon that none of the bidders have met that threshold, and the need for a deposit could be crucial as the administrators pick a new preferred bidder.

Nixon's report adds that Ashley's takeover offer is significantly lower than that of Storch, whose consortium is believed to have offered the most.

As seen with Bord, the Owls' next preferred bidder would have to put in money, while the EFL have to be assured that money is in place to fund next season.