Sheffield Wednesday takeover: David Storch 'in driving seat' ahead of Mike Ashley
American businessman David Storch has reportedly moved ahead of Mike Ashley in the race to buy Sheffield Wednesday.
Last month, a consortium led by James Bord withdrew from the takeover process despite having been granted selected bidder status.
It only intensified frustration for long-suffering Owls fans, who have been watching the club languish in administration since October.
Ashley and Storch had both had their eyes on Wednesday earlier in the process and their names soon started to circulate again.
Talk of a revised bid from Ashley, who owned Newcastle United between 2007 and 2021, has been rife.
Sheffield Wednesday takeover latest
However, according to The Star, it is Storch in the driving seat at a crucial stage in the process.
Storch, the founder and managing partner of investment firm Arise Capital Partners, is said to be in the United Kingdom to try and move the process along.
It has even been suggested he could be at Hillsborough for the club’s meeting with Watford tonight (March 10).
Storch is thought to be working alongside Tom Costin, an investor with Blue Crow Sports Group. The group are already immersed in football, having controlling interests in Le Havre, CD Leganes and Cancun FC.
It has been widely suggested there could be a preferred bidder selected this week. As it stands, Storch appears to be the frontrunner, but Wednesday fans know all too well how quickly things can change.
Battling on the pitch
On the pitch, Wednesday have already been relegated to League One. They are currently seeing out their season in the Championship with a stretched squad and had their latest defeat inflicted upon them by Derby County at the weekend.
It was another tough afternoon for the Owls, but manager Henrik Pedersen was given reason to believe a bright future is on the horizon by the travelling supporters.
He said: “It was amazing. oday from the first moment they were singing and to the end of the game. That’s why we have a big, big future for this football club.
“How they support the boys and how they create an environment for the boys in this insecure situation to still feel safe and feel motivated to do all that they can. I have never seen this before in my life, what they did for us today was amazing.
“Before we have a new owner, what we have right now is our fans and this is why our club is still a big club, otherwise we would be a small club. We don’t have much but with our fans we have everything and we have big potential.
“This shows what Sheffield Wednesday is, that the human comes first and with the heart we have to play and with the heart we have to show what we are and they have been unbelievable when it was most difficult and to stay with us and support us.”