Exclusive:Continued Sheffield Wednesday chaos could see Owls lose exciting talents
The way that Dejphon Chansiri has run Sheffield Wednesday is affecting the here and now, but it’s causing problems for the future too.
Wednesday are currently under embargo by the English Football League for five different reasons, including money owed to other clubs, money owed to football creditors and HMRC reporting. There are also issues with regards to assurances regarding the future funding of the football club, and two 30-day breaches mean that Wednesday are unable to pay any transfer fees until the end of the January 2027 transfer window.
All of the above has hindered Henrik Pedersen drastically in the transfer market, with only loans for than Horvath and Harry Amass being approved, and it’s led to the emergence of several academy players who have had to be called upon due to the threadbare nature of the senior options.
Two players to have benefited from that are 16-year-old Yisa Alao and Will Grainger, both of whom have made their senior debuts despite being on scholarship contracts - and the duo are held in very high regard by the Owls, who see them as players with big potential for the future.
Sheffield Wednesday’s continued contract chaos
But there’s a problem. Alao and Grainger both turn 17 in a couple of months’ time, and as things stand the Owls may not be able to hand them their first professional contracts. Like all other dealings at this point, the EFL will have final say on any new contracts - even for teenagers - and are likely to be unwilling to let Chansiri add to the club’s wage bill considering he can’t pay what’s currently on it on time.
Any other clubs are able to hand Wednesday’s youngster pro deals when they turn 17, and it’s not just the likes of Alao and Grainger who are at risk, with a number of other talented players coming up through the ranks such as Perry Ridge and James Kay.
It’s understood, of course, that the Owls are keen to get all of them tied down and that internal discussions have taken place regarding their futures, however the current state of play means that even if they want to stay, they might not be able to - at least not on improved terms.
Where new contracts for club under embargo are concerned, the EFL have said, “Yes, Clubs can offer new contracts to existing players, though this will be dependent upon the circumstances of the individual Club and will be determined by the League…
“Clubs can also upgrade Scholars and Academy Players to their First Professional Contract, though this will be dependent upon the circumstances of the individual Club and will be determined by the League.”
Wednesday’s problems are so much bigger than the embargoes themselves, though, and even if they were all lifted tomorrow it’s unlikely that new arrivals would be green lit by the league. And, as it happens, it looks like the list of embargoes will grow before it shrinks after senior players were informed on Monday that they won’t be paid on time for September.
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