Sheffield Wednesday fans will "get the last laugh" over Dejphon Chansiri as £15m takeover delay claim emerges | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his reaction to reports that some bidders are unhappy about having to pay Dejphon Chansiri £15 million.

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...

Sheffield Wednesday are currently in the process of identifying a new owner, but the money owed to former owner Dejphon Chansiri could potentially be a stumbling block to a takeover deal.

After months of off-field turmoil and financial problems, Chansiri's decade-long tenure at Wednesday came to an end last month when he put the club and the company through which he owned the stadium into administration.

The Owls were hit with a 12-point deduction after entering administration, and their relegation to League One was all but confirmed after they were given a further six-point penalty earlier this month as a punishment for the multiple late wage payments during the final months of Chansiri's reign.

Chansiri may no longer be in control at Hillsborough, but he is thought to be owed around £15 million from the takeover of Wednesday due to EFL regulations which state that football creditors must be paid 25p in the pound immediately or 35p in the pound over a three-year period.

The Owls' administrators were initially hoping to name a preferred bidder by December 5, and while the exact reason for the delay is unclear, several of the interested parties are keen to spend more time examining the club's accounts, while others are believed to be unhappy about having to pay Chansiri such a significant sum.

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan put together a consortium that had previously explored a possible takeover of Wednesday, but he revealed on talkSPORT last month that they had pulled out of the running, citing the money owed to Chansiri as one of the factors behind their decision to walk away from a deal.

Sheffield Wednesday fan stance on Dejphon Chansiri outlined after £15m takeover issue revealed

When asked if Chansiri is having the last laugh by effectively holding up the takeover process, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna insisted that was not the case, and he claimed that the three-year ban from football ownership the Thai businessman has been given by the EFL will have caused him significant humiliation.

"To be honest, I'm not concerned about the possibility that Dejphon Chansiri is going to have much influence or hold on this takeover," Patrick told FLW.

"As it stands, from the latest update from the administrator, there are five interested parties with significant wealth who are still looking to buy the club.

"I would be concerned if the administrators came out and delivered bad news with regards to the takeover, but the official word has been quite the opposite.

"At the end of the day, the list has to be whittled down to one preferred buyer, and as much as it is galling to see Chansiri get any money, the fact of the matter is that, under administration rules, he will have to get this pay-out.

"It will form part of the minimum £30 million you will need to afford to buy the club.

"If people are unwilling to buy the club based on this, then maybe this isn't the right venture for them.

"I don't get the emotional attachment they would have to paying Chansiri this money because it isn't them who have suffered his reign of terror, it's the fans.

"He's certainly not getting any last laugh, we're all laughing at him.

"He was kicked out of the club in absolute disgrace, and you just know that this will have caused him great shame and embarrassment among his family and in Thailand.

"The whole world knows what a massive failure he was, and now he is banned from owning a football club, he will be remembered as one of the worst owners in English football.

"He is going to end up getting a lot less money than what he thought he was going to get, so he's not going to be laughing about that.

"Sheffield Wednesday are set to get new owners, Chansiri is the past, and it is us, the fans, who will get the last laugh."

Sheffield Wednesday will have to continue to live with legacy of Dejphon Chansiri mismanagement

Having invested hundreds of millions of pounds during his reign, some Wednesday supporters will admit that Chansiri should be able to recoup some of his money, while others will feel that he does not deserve a single penny after his disastrous running of the club.

Either way, it is clear that Chansiri will be receiving significantly less than he would have done if he had been willing to sell the club for a reasonable price before putting it into administration, and the reputational damage he has suffered will no doubt be a source of serious embarrassment for the 57-year-old.

Unfortunately for the Owls, while Chansiri may no longer be in charge, they will still have to deal with the consequences of his mismanagement for some time to come, as shown by their recent six-point deduction and the amount of investment that is needed in the club, but better times should be ahead at Hillsborough under new ownership.