John Textor Teams Up With Football Financier In Push To Buy Sheffield Wednesday

John Textor has teamed up pinch nan shot financier Keith Harris successful an effort to bargain Sheffield Wednesday.

Harris, a erstwhile finance banker, has brokered takeovers astatine West Ham, Manchester City and Aston Villa, and put together a consortium to bargain Everton past year, though that bid was unsuccessful.

Textor was granted exclusivity successful his effort to bargain Everton done his finance vehicle, Eagle Football, but besides grounded to complete. The American was not moving pinch Harris but they sewage to cognize each different done nan Englishman’s activity for Sportsbank, which this twelvemonth offered Textor £230m to bargain 45% of Eagle. The multi-club cognition owns Lyon, Botafogo, nan Belgian nine RWD Molenbeek and was nan biggest shareholder astatine Crystal Palace until selling to Woody Johnson past month.

Sportsbank, a group of investors from nan United Arab Emirates and nan United States led by Zechariah Janjua and Navshir Jaffer, did not complete that deal, pinch Textor opting to float Eagle connected nan New York Stock Exchange. Sportsbank is not progressive successful nan bid for Wednesday, pinch Harris moving pinch Textor to root backing elsewhere.

Wednesday are successful a perilous financial situation. The owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has held talks pinch respective imaginable buyers this summer, and said successful June he had rejected an connection of £40m from an chartless American consortium, which is not connected to Textor. Chansiri’s asking value is thought to beryllium person to £100m.

The players person been paid precocious successful 4 of nan past 5 months, but their salaries are up to day aft Wednesday past week received a £2.7m solidarity costs from nan Premier League. The 2nd instalment is owed successful January.

Wednesday will this week person their monthly cardinal distribution of £460,000 from nan EFL, but short-term problems remain. The North Stand astatine Hillsborough has not been granted a information certificate truthful fans will person to beryllium moved for their first location crippled of nan play against Stoke connected Saturday unless activity is carried retired successful time. Money is truthful tight that immoderate players paid for their ain edifice earlier Sunday’s 2-1 conclusion astatine Leicester. As things stand, overnight stays will beryllium cautiously rationed for nan remainder of nan season, pinch time trips from Sheffield apt nan norm erstwhile practical.

Textor confirmed past week he was “definitely interested” successful Wednesday. Harris has been chair of nan Football League, a committee personnel of Wembley Stadium and a head astatine Everton.