Former Premier League owner enters £70m Sheffield Wednesday takeover talks

Former Crystal Palace owner John Textor has held talks with Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri over a potential takeover at Hillsborough. The US businessman has previously expressed an interest in buying the crisis-hit Championship side.

Textor recently sold his stake in Palace to Woody Johnson for approximately £190million after the Eagles' demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League. The 60-year-old is also the majority owner of RWDM Brussels in Belgium, Botafogo in Brazil and Lyon in France.

According to The Daily Mail, he has held talks with Chansiri, with sources close to the situation in Sheffield stating that negotiations are underway with a view to Textor potentially adding the club to his multi-club model. Each club has been acquired amid financial difficulty.

READ MORE: Unpaid Sheffield Wednesday stars make feelings clear after Birmingham heartbreak

READ MORE: Sheffield Wednesday have been left to rot by Dejphon Chansiri - he MUST sell crisis club

However, the report states that an agreement appears to be a long way off, with Chansiri holding firm on his hefty asking price. It's believed that the Thai businessman wants around £100m for the Owls, although there is a view that he may consider a price closer to £70m.

Henrik Pederson's side have endured a difficult start to the 2025/26 season, with them just one point above the relegation zone. However, a points deduction could see them plummet to the bottom of the table following Chansiri's latest mismanagement.

The club failed to pay the players once again last month, marking the fifth time this has occurred in the previous seven months. As per EFL rules, each break could trigger a three-point penalty.

Wednesday have already been victim to several EFL sanctions, including a long-term transfer ban and embargoes. The report adds that players have not been paid at Hillsborough, while staff members have received only £1,000 for their month's work.

Manager Henrik Pedersen felt his players' performance warranted more than a point against Birmingham City on Tuesday after being pegged back in stoppage time at St Andrew's. He said: "We deserved more.

"When you are 2-1 up and we've played 99 minutes, of course you can be disappointed, but in the big picture you have to be proud of one point away at Birmingham.

"We had a good beginning but then conceded when Harry [Amass] should have tackled a little bit harder with his right foot, but how we worked after they scored, and how we stayed together, fought for each other and stayed in the game."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.