Claim made on whether John McEvoy is most 'likely' to seal Sheffield Wednesday takeover | OneFootball

US billionaire John McEvoy has been linked with a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, but he is not the leading contender to buy the club.

After Sheffield Wednesday were placed into administration by former owner Dejphon Chansiri, the race to take over the Championship club is hotting up.

Chansiri's turbulent decade-long tenure at Hillsborough came to an end last month when he put the club and the company through which he owned the stadium into administration following months of financial turmoil that had plunged Wednesday into crisis.

Given that they have been left with a threadbare squad after a host of high-profile summer departures, relegation always looked like a strong possibility for the Owls this season, but after being hit with a 12-point deduction for entering administration, it is almost certain they will be playing League One football next term.

However, despite Wednesday's current predicament, there has been no shortage of interest in a possible takeover, with 11 parties providing proof of funds of £50 million to the club's administrators so far.

A host of names have been linked with the Owls in recent weeks, including former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor, ex-Newcastle United chief Mike Ashley and US billionaire John McEvoy, and there is hope that a takeover deal could be completed before the end of the year, with a clear timeline now in place for the next stages of the process.

As per EFL regulations, the club has to remain on the market for 28 days after going into administration, but a soft deadline of Friday 21st November has been set for offers to be submitted, with a preferred bidder set to be chosen by Friday 5th December after a two-week negotiating period.

While the names of Textor and Ashley will be familiar to many Wednesday supporters due to their previous involvement in English football, it is fair to say McAvoy's interest in the club has generated plenty of intrigue and excitement.

McAvoy, who previously explored the possibility of a move for the Owls' fellow Championship side Coventry City, currently holds minority stakes in US National Hockey League team Nashville Predators and Major League Baseball outfit Colorado Rockies, while he is also a minority shareholder in talent management giant Various Artists.

As he steps up his bid to buy Wednesday, McAvoy was given a guided tour around Hillsborough this week, leading to speculation that he could be the front-runner to secure a takeover deal, but that does not appear to be the case.

According to The Star, McEvoy's tour of Hillsborough does not indicate that he is the most likely candidate at this stage as at least two other parties are believed to have visited the club's stadium in recent weeks, including a mystery US group who were shown around last Thursday after attending the Owls' 1-1 draw with Norwich City the previous night.

However, while McEvoy should not be considered the leading contender to buy Wednesday, he does clearly hold a serious interest in the South Yorkshire outfit, and it seems a clearer picture of exactly who will be the club's next owner could emerge relatively soon, with joint-administrator Kris Wigfield revealing on Friday that he hopes "concrete offers" will be made once enquiries are "thinned down into serious and viable bidders".

Sheffield Wednesday supporters must be patient as takeover process continues

After months of turmoil, Wednesday supporters are understandably desperate to know who their next owner will be, but the lack of detail leaking about who has provided proof of funds is a sign that the process is being done properly.

It is clear that there is plenty of interest in the Owls from serious and credible candidates with vast financial resources, so supporters should be optimistic that the club will be placed in good hands, even if the wait for news is creating some anxiety.

With next Friday's deadline for offers to be submitted looming, it may not be too long until we find out who the candidates to become Wednesday's new owner are, but the most important thing is that the necessary due diligence is being done behind the scenes to another bad owner like Chansiri getting control of the club.