As Sheffield Wednesday fans prayed for new ownership in the midst of the financial turmoil managed by Dejphon Chansiri, rumors circulated early this year that Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Alalshikh might be interested.
With an estimated net fortune of over £2 billion, the boxing kingpin is reportedly interested in purchasing an English football team.
When former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan urged the Saudi to invest in the Owls in the midst of their current financial difficulties—which have already resulted in the resignation of manager Danny Rohl and several important first-team players this summer—the situation became more likely.
Players and staff have been informed that their salaries will probably be delayed this month as the EFL gets ready to strike Wednesday with a number of point sanctions, and the Owls are also unable to operate their north stand until repairs are finished.
However, Chansiri is reportedly requesting £100 million to sell the Owls despite their current situation, and Alalshikh has instead been connected to southern clubs like Millwall and Southampton.
Speaking on Talksport, Jordan speculated that Alalshikh may have been deterred from investing in the Owls by conversations with Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud, a fellow Saudi national who sold Wednesday’s local rivals United to an American group for £105 million last year.
“In this instance, at Sheffield Wednesday, I’ve spoken to various people,” Jordan stated. “I’ve discussed purchasing Sheffield Wednesday with Turki. I don’t believe he thought his friend, who was the owner of Sheffield United, had the best time in Sheffield. He made certain statements about Sheffield that I might not utter live.
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