Gray hopeful takeover will provide cash for Owls signings

Gray’s team have risen to just four points off the Championship play-offs against the backdrop of chairman Milan Mandaric looking to sell the Owls.

A deal looked to have been completed last summer with Azerbaijani businessman Hafiz Mammadov, only for the takeover to collapse.

But Mandaric is understood to be in advanced talks with a Thai consortium over a £30m sale, but is reticent of revealing too much after the unwanted publicity surrounding Mammadov’s failed buyout.

Gray has turned the Owls into play-off contenders despite working on a limited budget, which has forced him to rely mainly on free transfers and loan signings.

But the influx of cash into Hillsborough has Gray excited about spending money and bolstering his team.

“Any figures that are bandied about – saying the club is worth this or this – you think someone coming in with that sort of money has a fair bit of clout,” Gray told The Yorkshire Post, ahead of 
tomorrow’s visit of Bolton Wanderers in the Championship.

“I am like any manager, I am thinking will I have got money to spend on transfer fees.

“When it happens, I will have the opportunity to sit down with these people. I get excited because suddenly I think maybe I am not just dealing with loan markets, we might be dealing with transfer fees as well.

“But when it happens, it happens. I am quite laid back about it. It doesn’t bother me, I just concentrate on getting the platers ready for the next game.

“I know they are talking, in discussions, but when the chairman has something concrete to tell me, he will.

“The most important thing is, hopefully, it will go through. But the chairman is not worried if it does or doesn’t. It seems to be the longest saga in the world, since the start of last pre-season. But it’s not affecting the team, whatsoever, because we are playing well and on a good run as well.”

While Gray is keen on signing Watford midfielder Lewis McGugan on a permanent deal – he had a successful loan spell last month – the Owls are also desperate for a striker.

Wednesday are the second lowest scorers in the Championship with only Blackpool having a worse record in front of goal, but that has not prevented the Owls from climbing into the top 10.

“You need momentum and we have got that,” he said. “What we have to do is add to it, build on that. I am a great believer in strengthening while you’re in good form. We all know we need a forward and we are trying desperately hard to do that.

“I want to bring in a No 9 who can maybe get us that ugly goal.”