"Ticks all the boxes" - Turki Alalshikh given Sheffield Wednesday takeover backing amid Wrexham AFC comparison | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his thoughts on the prospect of a potential takeover by Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Ahead of what looks set to be a turbulent summer, many Sheffield Wednesday supporters are calling for owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club.

It is fair to say that Chansiri has long had a strained relationship with the Wednesday fan base, but discontent has increased in recent weeks after he failed to pay the players' March wages on time, which almost led to the club being hit with a three-window transfer ban after coming dangerously close to the 30-day limit permitted for late payment of player salaries or HMRC debt in a single year.

Having had a public dispute with manager Danny Rohl earlier in the season, Chansiri is also being held responsible for the German's expected departure this summer amid speculation linking him with Southampton, Leicester City and RB Leipzig.

As frustration with Chansiri continues to build, around 1,000 Owls supporters marched through Hillsborough Park to protest against his ownership before gathering outside the stadium prior to Saturday's 1-1 draw against Portsmouth.

While Chansiri recently confirmed that he is not actively looking to sell the club, he did suggest that he would be open to offers from a suitable buyer, and last week, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan revealed that he had urged Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh to make a move for Wednesday.

Sheffield Wednesday reaction given to Turki Alalshikh talk

When asked for his thoughts on a possible takeover by Alalshikh, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna said that he would welcome him to the club, claiming that he could bring the same kind of publicity to the Owls as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have to Wrexham.

"It does have to be stated that enough is enough with Chansiri, he has to sell the club, and it needs to be as soon as possible," Patrick said.

"We need bidders to come to the table, and I think if we can get this guy to the table, it would be a massive bonus.

"Some people will have reservations when they hear that he is a Saudi investor, they may think he's related to the Saudi royal family and think about human rights issues.

"I'm not going to have a go at people for thinking that, but it isn't a Saudi regime like the one in charge at Newcastle, it's just the fact that the guy is based in Saudi Arabia, so you can't hold that against him, unless any allegations or red flags come out.

"In his time involved in sport, no bad or serious allegations have come out against him.

"It has been said many times before, but we are a sleeping giant, and if somebody can come along with the money and connections, they could lift us back to the big time again.

"I just think this guy ticks all the boxes.

"Owning a football club requires a decent amount of money these days, and Sheffield Wednesday won't exactly be cheap, but he has the money there.

"Since we have been out of the top flight for so long, we have really fallen away to the point where a generation of football fans won't know who we are, and we have been overtaken by a lot of clubs who are starkly smaller than us.

"I'm not going to name individual clubs, but our place at the top table should still be there, and this guy, with his connections in sport and the publicity he could bring us, is comparable to the guys at Wrexham in a way.

"They're not just coming in as football owners, they bring that bit more with their connections.

"I'm a Sheffield Wednesday fan who has, since 2000, seen so many years of misery, so if a guy like this wants to come along and take over, I'm not going to turn him down.

"He's certainly the sort of guy who could do big things for our club, so I think it would be fantastic if he ever did take us over."

The demonstration prior to Saturday's game against Portsmouth was by far the biggest protest Wednesday supporters have ever staged against Chansiri, showing that the mood among the fan base is starting to change.

Alalshikh, who has a reported net worth of £2.1 billion, is heavily involved in the world of boxing, while he is also the owner of Spanish second division side Almeria, so there is no doubt that he would have the financial resources and sporting experience to help take the Owls forward if he decides to act on Jordan's advice and make a bid for the club.

Unfortunately for Wednesday, takeovers can often be a lengthy process, and there is no guarantee that Chansiri would be willing to sell even if he received a suitable offer, but the talk of prospective buyers does at least offer a glimmer of hope for the long-suffering fan base.