Sheffield Wednesday takeover: The £100m Mike Ashley claim that will excite Owls fans | OneFootball

There's one particular factor involving Mike Ashley's potential takeover of Sheffield Wednesday which may seriously excite the Hillsborough faithful

The ongoing efforts of administrative group Begbies Traynor to oversee a new takeover at Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday received a seismic blow on Wednesday afternoon when it was confirmed that the consortium led by James Bord had suddenly pulled out of the deal to purchase the Steel City outfit.

Bord's proposed takeover of the club, which is said to have been worth some £47.8 milion, had rumbled on for some time without completion, with the ex-professional poker star's consortium first named as the preferred business on Christmas Eve after the Owls plunged into administration before pulling out after deeming their offer to have been too much.

Wednesday have, of course, been overseen by Begbies Traynor ever since, having ridden themselves of unpopular former chairman Dejphon Chansiri amid a litany of crises under the Thai businessman's watch in recent years.

It has been an extremely-distressing campaign both on and off-the-pitch for Henrik Pedersen's side, who became the earliest team to suffer relegation in English Football League history following last weekend's Steel City derby defeat at Sheffield United.

They have been deducted a total of 18 points and relegation was an inevitability before a ball was kicked, with Pedersen's squad having been decimated over the previous summer while the Owls have struggled to recruit new players.

Wednesdayites will now continue to clamour for light at the end of the tunnel after Bord's collapsed takeover, and concerns remain at large regarding the club's long-term future as a return to the third-tier awaits.

It's imperative that Wednesday comes under fresh ownership before the 2026/27 League One campaign begins and all eyes will be on Mike Ashley, who has re-emerged as a serious takeover contender as the Owls begin their search once more.

The £100m Mike Ashley claim that must excite Sheffield Wednesday fans

Across recent days, it has been widely-reported that Ashley remains interested in completing a purchase of Sheffield Wednesday, having been interested before initially seeing himself pipped to the post by Bord's consortium.

It has been reported by The Star that representatives of the ex-Newcastle United owner have met with administrative figures at Hillsborough this week as talk surrounding a fresh takeover bid continues to grow, and there's one factor in particular which will likely offer some much-needed excitement, hope and positivity to Wednesdayites.

That's because the report adds exactly how much Ashley would be looking to invest from the offset in a bid to elevate the Owls' fortunes and alleviate issues both on and away from the field.

As per The Star's update, Ashley is willing to splash around £100 million if a takeover of the Championship strugglers can be completed, which shows the seriousness of his interest and provides some hope over Wednesday's long-term future at last.

There is every chance that Ashley's takeover efforts could come to fruition, with his extensive experience in domestic ownership handing him little to fear when it comes to the EFL's tests. Indeed, it's suggested that his takeover could be green-lighted in a couple of weeks' time if the process is plain-sailing, with few hitches anticipated at this stage.

Where Mike Ashley's £100m investment could go at Sheffield Wednesday

With a reported figure of £10-£20 million now required to successfully purchase Sheffield Wednesday as opposed to the previously-mooted £35 million+ sum, Ashley will have lots of cash to invest in deeper matters at Hillsborough and beyond.

The aforementioned report adds that the £100 million outlay is deemed as what would be required to complete a necessary revamp of Hillsborough, which has been a particular sticking point among supporters amid the stadium's state of increasing neglect, along with the club's Middlewood Road training ground.

That's not it either, and it has been said that some of that figure would also be invested into the playing squad as another rebuild in S6 beckons. The Owls have been forced into relying on a number of loan deals and young, untested prospects from the academy owing to the exodus of senior players last summer, with many stars opting to leave the blue-and-white quarters of the Steel City in recent times.

Ashley may also face the task of rescuing the club's academy system from falling to Category 3 from its current position of Category 2, with fresh investment required to retain its status.