John Textor ready for Dejphon Chansiri takeover talks as first ‘focus’ for Sheffield Wednesday revealed

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Sheffield Wednesday’s ownership saga has taken another twist, with John Textor reportedly registering his official interest in the club.

The Owls players have successfully shut out the noise of their ownership problems under Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri this season, most recently shocking Premier League Leeds by beating them 3-0 on penalties in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Two sides of Hillsborough were empty for the clash, as the home fans staged a boycott in an effort to protest against their controversial owner and push him to sell the club. Before the clash, it was revealed the incoming Independent Football Regulator is likely to look at Chansiri as a ‘matter of urgency’ among other damning revelations.

Sheffield Wednesday’s chief is said to have spoken to a number of interested buyers after slapping a £100million price tag on the club, including rejecting an American consortium’s £40million offer. Now, Textor has reportedly acted on his interest and contacted Chansiri’s representatives.

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John Textor wants Dejphon Chansiri meeting as he prioritises Sheffield Wednesday squad investment

According to The Guardian, American businessman Textor is poised for talks over a potential takeover of the troubled Championship club.

The former Crystal Palace co-owner is looking for a new club to invest in after selling his stake in the Eagles, and has flown to the United Kingdom in the hopes of scheduling a meeting with the Wednesday chief.

The report states it remains to be seen if Textor is willing to pay the £100million wanted for the Owls.

However, he is understood to be keen to tap into Wednesday’s potential. He bought Botafogo in 2022 and has taken them from the second tier to being crowned South American champions last year – and he envisions the same transformation for the South Yorkshire club.

Eight of the Owls players involved in the dramatic win over Leeds had played less than five senior matches, with the team boasting an average age of 21.

The Guardian report Textor is keen to bring investment to Henrik Pedersen’s thread-bare squad and would focus on this initially if he took the keys from Chansiri.

What we know about John Textor and Sheffield Wednesday

Textor, who made his money through visual effects studio Digital Domain, owns stakes in a number of football clubs. As well as Brazilian side Botafogo, through Eagle Football he is the majority owner of RWDM Brussels and Lyon.

After witnessing Wednesday staff going unpaid for three months, Owls stars terminating their contracts, manager Danny Rohl leaving and numerous fan protests, earlier this month our Chief Football Correspondent Graeme Bailey revealed Textor had ‘genuine interest’ in purchasing the club.

Textor himself then revealed he had a strong interest in investing in a ‘traditional English’ side.

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Bailey said the 59-year-old had been asking people he respects in the game to gather as much information about the Owls as possible as he assesses his options.

Chansiri has been notoriously difficult to negotiate with, though and EFL Analysis has been told he is keen to keep hold of Hillsborough, too.

Ex-Palace chairman Simon Jordan has also told Textor to invest in Wednesday, as Owls fans continue to hold out for new investors to save them.