Sheffield Wednesday state of play: Danny Rohl's future, embargoes, takeovers and much more

It has been a bewildering and disastrous summer at Hillsborough and also a very unclear one, with little communication from the club or its under-fire owner/chairman Dejphon Chansiri, and legal and procedural restrictions on what information can be made public by other parties.

But here is where the Championship club stand just over three weeks before the start of the new season.

Embargoes

The Owls were put under a transfer embargo by the Football League (EFL) on June 3 for failing to pay their players in full and on time. Embargoes for not keeping up payments to HMRC or money owed in transfers quickly followed.

Some non-playing staff were also not paid in that time, but Football League rules do not cover this. As well as March and May's wage bills not being paid as they ought to have been, neither was June's.

However, manager Danny Rohl and some players' wages were kept up to date to ensure they could not leave for free.

The latter two embargoes were lifted on July 16 after the sale of Anthony Musaba to Samsunspor, and Djeidi Gassama to Rangers allowed them to settle those debts.

Clubs under embargo can only sign players on free transfers if they have fewer than 23 "permitted players" – defined in this case as players who have started three Championship or higher-division matches at any point in their career.

The wages of new signings are capped at around £7,000 per week.

Fee restrictions

When the Owls finally leave all embargoes, and until the end of the 2026 summer transfer window, they will be unable to pay transfer or loan fees to sign players. As clubs can only sign free agents outside of transfer windows, in practice they will be unable to buy or loan such players until 2027.

Wednesday are able to appeal, but Football League sources have stressed a change of ownership will not simply mean a "clean slate".

Charges

When Wednesday were first put under embargo in early June, they and Chansiri were charged "with multiple breaches of EFL regulations relating to payment obligations" for failing to pay players on time and in full in March and May. Both are required under league rules to ensure the club can keep its financial obligations to "football creditors" (its players and fellow clubs) and the taxman.

The club, which is appealing its charge, could face a points deduction if an independent disciplinary commission finds against them.

The league were able to get owner Dai Yongge to sell League One Reading after numerous disciplinary measures against him personally over financial mismanagement but it was a long, drawn-out process. Their hope will be that Chansiri sells of his own volition.

Previous

Something which could be taken into account is the Owls' track record.

They were deducted six points for breaching spending rules in 2020-21, which ultimately led to relegation to League One.

They have also been under registration embargoes in the last two seasons.

Sales

The Owls have sold two senior players so far this summer, but their need to do so has forced them to accept knockdown prices in return for cash up front in deals that would normally be paid for in instalments. Between them, the sales of Musaba and Gassama, two promising young wingers, is thought to have brought in just £3m – far below their true value.

Academy players Sutura Kakay, Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri and Romario Collins are expected to be sold to raise funds.

Signings

Clubs under embargo are allowed to hand new or extended contracts to existing players, and the Owls have done this with youngsters Rio Shipston and George Brown.

The squad

The following 13 Sheffield Wednesday players have started three or more Championship matches: Pierce Charles, Liam Palmer, Max Lowe, Di'Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, Yan Valery, Gabriel Otegbayo, Nathaniel Chalobah, Svante Ingelsson, Jamal Lowe, Ike Ugbo, Olaf Kobacki, Bailey Cadamarteri.

In addition, Rio Shipston started 10 League of Ireland games on loan at Cork City last season. Whether the League of Ireland constitutes a “higher” division is something which will be debated with the Football League should it come to it, but with so many free spots in the squad, it will not be an issue for some time, if at all.

Notice periods

On Thursday evening Josh Windass and Michael Smith became the first players to exercise their right to a free transfer, although they are not thought to be the only players to have asked.

Any players who were not paid in full for May and June were entitled to hand in written notice that they planned to leave on a free in 15 days. Anyone doing so immediately would have seen their notice expire on Monday, around the time overdue wages seem to have started trickling in. The Owls may use this to argue some of these players are not entitled to free transfers.

The missing men

Barry Bannan's contract expired in June, but he has been training with the squad regardless. The Owls have been linked with moves for Callum Paterson and Stuart Armstrong, also out of contract.

Bannan, Paterson and Famewo were offered new deals when the club announced its retained list, before the transfer restrictions.

The manager

It has been clear since the breakdown of relations with Chansiri became public in the new year that Rohl wanted to move on this summer. As the year has gone on, he became more and more forthright in making this known, speaking openly about it, mainly in Germany, once the season was over.

However, the hefty compensation the Owls would be entitled to thanks to keeping his wages up to date, good alternatives, and perhaps the way Rohl has conducted himself has seen clubs linked with the 36-year-old turn elsewhere.

Rohl missed the start of pre-season and a six-day training camp at St George's Park as he reportedly tried to negotiate a severance.

But with a potential buyer of the club reportedly keen on keeping him, when the players returned from St George's Rohl is said to have held clear-the-air talks with them to begin the process of returning. This was apparently not well received by some.

The coaching staff

When Rohl signed his new contract, his backroom staff did not, and all their deals expired in June.

That left under-21 manager Andy Holdsworth to take the first day of training at St George's, supported by staff from the youth set-up.

Rohl's assistant Henrik Pedersen signed a new contract a day into the Burton trip, and took training thereafter. At the time it looked a clear sign he was being lined up to replace Rohl, and even after the German's attempted olive branch, some still believe that to be the case.

Takeover

Chansiri now appears minded to sell the club having said in the past he was open to the idea, but in practice priced out buyers.

Groups based in the United States, Monaco and this country have been linked with a takeover. Having sold his Crystal Palace shares this summer, John Textor has spoken openly of his desire to buy a Championship rather than Premier League club.

Late last week there were reports of Chansiri agreeing to sell to one or more parties, but for whatever reason, this appears to have broken down.

Training ground

After the end of last season and before their financial problems emerged, Wednesday trumpeted overdue investment in their Middlewood Road training facilities, as well as a new playing surface at Hillsborough, something Rohl will almost certainly have raised in last season's contract talks.

The work went ahead – one reason for the St George's camp – but both facilities will need further investment from a new owner having lagged badly behind in Wednesday's quarter of a century outside of the top division.

The stadium

Whilst seeing to the pitch, the Owls have not fixed the roof of the North Stand. Failure to do so in time will see them have to close it when matches restart there with the Championship visit of Stoke City on August 16 as the club will be denied a safety certificate.

Sheffield MP Clive Betts raised the matter in the House of Commons.

Embarrassingly, if a safety certificate is not granted, it would leave the stand facing the main television cameras empty, exposing the name "Chansiri" picked out in white seats.

Boycott

The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Trust has called for a boycott of the club's new £72 home shirt and all official merchandise until Chansiri leaves. The proposed boycott also includes food and drink bought inside Hillsborough but crucially not match tickets as the trust "believe it is important for fans to support the team in what is likely to be an incredibly difficult season on the pitch".

The football

Oh yeah, it would be easy to forget that.

When Rohl's toys were out of the pram no pre-season friendlies were announced for the summer, but when the team were at St George's the club announced it would be playing an unspecified number of behind-closed-doors friendlies to prepare for 2025-26.

With the senior team at the Club World Cup, Wednesday played Manchester City's youngsters when in Burton and won 3-2.

Mansfield Town announced an away behind-closed-doors game against the Owls on July 26, which their hosts have not confirmed.

Wednesday's season starts on Sunday, August 10, against Leicester City on Sky.

They then have four further games, including a League Cup tie at Bolton Wanderers on the Wednesday, before the transfer window closes on September 1.