Mike Ashley behind one of three bids remaining in race to take over Sheffield Wednesday
Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is among the bidders still in contention to take charge of Sheffield Wednesday. Long-term owner Dejphon Chansiri was forced to put the club into administration in October, with the takeover saga ongoing.
Wednesday were docked 12 points for entering administration, and a further six in relation to "multiple breaches of EFL regulations relating to payment obligations". Chansiri has been banned from owning an EFL club for a period of three years.
Despite the points deductions making relegation from the Championship a near-certainty - they sit 29 points from safety at the time of writing - interest remains. Ashley's bid is one of two from British businessmen, with The Mail reporting that Dunfermline Athletic owner James Bord is part of a separate consortium in the mix.
The third interested party is an American consortium. John McEvoy and the Storch family, previously part of rival groups which might have launched bids, are now said to have joined forces.
• Dejphon Chansiri thought he could beat Sheffield Wednesday's fans - he now leaves humiliated
Reports last month indicated Ashley's bid came in at around £20million. According to the latest Mail update, Wednesday might not necessarily just go to the highest bidder, with any purported owner required to pass the EFL's Owners and Directors Test.
Meanwhile, on the field, Wednesday remain cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship table. They have won just one of their 19 league matches, and would be up against it even without their points deductions.
Henrik Pedersen's team ended a four-game losing run last time out, and were moments away from winning at Watford before Vivaldo Semedo's last-gasp equaliser. Next up for the Owls is a return to their Hillsborough home, with Derby the visitors on Monday.
“Because of the situation that we're in, it's tough. We've got to take it game by game and take each as they come," goalscorer Charlie McNeill said after the Watford game. “Everyone is fighting hard, we all want to be here, we all want to play, we all want to fight for the club and get the wins.
“It's tough, but like I said, we've just got to keep going. We're playing well, but we can't seem to get over the line and Watford is a prime example of that.
“In any other situation, a point at Watford would have been a good result. But the way it happened, we obviously should have won the game. Simple as that.”
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