What Dejphon Chansiri has said about selling Sheffield Wednesday - Mike Ashley and John Textor linked | OneFootball

The Owls continue to be linked with a potential takeover at present

Sheffield Wednesday continue to be a club very much in crisis, with Owls supporters still fearing the worst when it comes to the immediate and long-term future of their football club.

The 10 years of Dejphon Chansiri's spell as president at Hillsborough have been beyond dramatic, with the Thai businessman initially acquiring control of the Championship side for approximately £30m at the turn of 2015.

At the time, Wednesday had failed to threaten a return to the Premier League for the first time since being relegated in 2000, having endured four seasons in League One more recently, before things started to, at first, turn for the better.

Since two failed play-off campaigns in 2016 and 2017 under Carlos Carvalhal, Chansiri has been the subject of intense fan pressure to sell the club on to a new custodian, having once again fallen into a state that has failed to have been halted as of yet, with off-pitch matters now at the forefront of S6-related headlines.

They have only increased in the past six months despite the fact several parties have reportedly shown interest in negotiating a deal with the 57-year-old that will relinquish his control of the club, and they were made even worse earlier this week when it was revealed through an independent investigation by BBC Radio Sheffield and the Sheffield Star that Wednesday are potentially days away from a winding-up order and administration, as Chansiri is yet to pay an outstanding £1m tax bill to HMRC.

With that being said, FLW has looked at the recent stances he has taken on the matter amid takeover talks involving former Crystal Palace and Newcastle United figures.

Dejphon Chansiri's current stance on potential Sheffield Wednesday takeover amid fan unrest

Back in 2018, Chansiri was famously quoted as saying: “... If the fans want me to leave and they want to buy me out, then I will sell for them. If they want me to leave, I don’t mind. I know what I am doing."

Seven years later, he still remains in power in the Steel City, despite links to a plethora of potential buyers ever since the club was relegated to League One in 2021 after being hit with a 12-point deduction following a breach of spending rules.

Despite continued unrest in the stands, Wednesday were able to reconsolidate in the second tier before initial rumblings of discontent came to the fore back in April, when it was revealed that players and staff were to receive their wages later than anticipated - with the same circumstances playing out in five of the following six months.

As such, another points penalty is expected to come Wednesday's way, whilst a further five transfer and registration-related embargoes and a transfer fee restriction punishment have left Henrik Pedersen with a threadbare squad following a mass exodus of senior players, staff and former manager, Danny Rohl.

Back in June, Chansiri reiterated that he was still willing to sell the club. But, after rejecting bids of £30m and £40m, it was stated that the Owls owner is holding out for no less than £100m as he looks to still make a profit on his initial investment, despite the fact many have argued that Wednesday have hardly any valuable assets on and off the pitch that make the figure justified.

talkSPORT presenter, Jim White, and club captain, Barry Bannan, recently revealed their difficulties when it comes to discussing the ongoing saga with Chansiri, which has only added to worries that he will remain at the club despite the urgent need for a takeover on top of the concerning revelations of a winding-up petition coming the club's way.

John Textor has spoken out on Dejphon Chansiri negotiation process amid takeover links

Two figures heavily linked with a takeover are former Palace stakeholder John Textor and ex-Magpies president, Mike Ashley - both of whom have been close to controversy in recent years.

It was reported that Chansiri was potentially willing to drop his valuation to £70m despite hitting a snag in negotiations with Textor, although the American recently discussed the complexity of the situation.

“It’s really complicated,” Textor told Alan Myers. “Wednesday are one of the clubs we are looking at.

“It’s not like I wouldn’t love to come in tomorrow, but they’re in a very difficult situation.

“There’s a lot to figure out with the owner. There is a lot to figure out with the league itself.

“There’s not a lot of time to figure it out. It seems like half to two-thirds of that squad is under the age of 21. By the time we can even get in and address things, if we were to reach a deal with the club, I hope it’s not too late," he added.

As such, it has been debated whether the only way to oust Chansiri from his position is through the Independent Football Regulator, with newly-appointed chair, David Kogan, outlining his thought process on the matter, whilst the likes of Simon Jordan and Stefan Borson have debated whether the IFR will succeed in doing so.