Premier League Villain In For Sheffield Wednesday - But Could He Be Exactly What They Need Right Now?

Sheffield Wednesday's current situation isn't exactly one left undocumented.

In fact, it is one of the most gripping stories in all of English football right now.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, The Owls were placed into administration in October amid a series of ongoing financial issues under the controversial ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

This has led to over £1m in debt owed to HMRC and what was a 12-point deduction ahead of the Championship season.

Understandably (which is an understatement), there is now the need for a new owner to take over the club, and there is currently a bidding war underway with those aiming to acquire Wednesday putting forward their funds and making their offers.

Reports state there are currently 11 separate interested parties, but one has stood out above the rest for a multitude of reasons.

Mike Ashley's offer is reportedly significantly lower than the top bids at this stage (shock), but his interest does raise an interesting question… Could he actually be the right fit?

Ashley Fails Newcastle

If you've read any of my stuff before, you'll be well aware that I'm a Newcastle United fan.

So believe me, sitting here at my desk and furiously typing an article of endorsement toward my club's former dictator, who we as fans protested so heavily to get rid of, doesn't exactly feel familiar.

But following the same sentiment, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't genuinely believe he could be the right man for the role…

It would, of course, be naive of me to sit here and claim Mike Ashley will bring 'glory days' to Sheffield Wednesday, or even that he will return them to the promised land of the Premier League, but there may well be something in him bringing them back to stability.

If you know Mike Ashley, you'll know money is his lifeblood.

Whether it be renaming the iconic St James' Park to the 'Sports Direct Arena' with the sole aim of getting more eyes on his company, or investing the absolute minimum required to keep the club a plausible entity for his own capital gain – Mike Ashley spent almost his entire Newcastle United tenure like some sort of Mr Krabs stunt double.

And, when he eventually sold the club, he came away with a £196m profit on his 'investment'.

The main issue Newcastle fans had with Ashley was that he didn't honour the promises made when he first took over.

He vowed to return the club to the glory days and invest heavily, stating he wouldn't leave the club until Newcastle returned to the Champions League or won a major trophy – none of which ever came to fruition.

But the one thing he did do was keep the club financially stable. There were a couple of spells in the Championship which were quickly curbed by promotion, but for the most part, Newcastle just kind of existed.

Which is exactly why he could be the man for Wednesday.

Cashley A Good Fit?

Wednesday's financial issues began back in 2023, and since then the concern among fans and those who love the club has only grown.

In fact, there have been several points where The Owls came close to extinction, never mind returning to any sort of positive state.

So, as much as it would be a dream to see them back in their old stomping ground of the Premier League in the near future, that is somewhat unrealistic given all the work needed behind the scenes.

And with that being said, Wednesday can't afford another owner with no intention but to run them into the ground.

They must get this next stage right or face an almost certain fall further into the depths of footballing devastation.

The fact that Ashley is even interested means he sees an entity which could make him a return on investment in the future, but to make that possible will take some effort under the current circumstances.

Would it be pretty? Absolutely not, and for all we know Ashley could be doing it with a view to getting himself back into football's good books by saving a club rather than destroying the hope of one like he did with Newcastle.

But, as much as I hate to say it, he could well be the man to stabilise the turbulent state of Sheffield Wednesday at present.

His ownership should come with a warning to the Wednesday faithful that they will likely not get any more than merely being brought back to a plausible existence.

But at this point, that may well be all they can hope for.