Where responsibility on Owls player sales sits - Max Lowe hope laid out amid Rangers interest
The ultimate responsibility for decisions on the sale of any Sheffield Wednesday players this month lies with the administrators of the club, manager Henrik Pedersen has said.
The Owls were placed in administration back in October, a move forced on Dejphon Chansiri amid rising pressure from creditors. That placed the responsibility of the running of the club in the hands of administrators at Begbies Traynor LLP, as well as the management of a sales process that has moved to a vetting stage after a consortium led by James Bord was named as their ‘preferred bidder’.
A number of players are understood to be of interest to clubs as the January transfer window continues, including skipper and talisman Barry Bannan. Pedersen was unable to offer reassurances that the veteran playmaker would stay on at S6 beyond the current window when speaking to media following their defeat to Portsmouth on Saturday.
Another senior figure understood to have admiration elsewhere is Max Lowe, with The Star revealing that Scottish giants Rangers had made an enquiry as to his availability early in the window - though a deal is believed to be unlikely as things stand.
The Ibrox side are managed by ex-Owls boss Danny Röhl. Asked whether he believes it is likely the Gers could return with a formal bid for the left-sided defender, Pedersen said: “I don't know. But I also hope Maxxy will stay. He is very important for us, but it's out of my control. I can only inspire to keep all of our players so we can have as competitive team as possible.”
It has been suggested that the club are in no need for a fire sale of players, as is often the case in administration, with Wednesday’s financial situation not in the immediate dire straits often suffered by clubs that have fallen to that fate. That said, players are seen often seen as business assets in the cold reality of administration and reasonable offers will likely be heard.
Pedersen went on to explain that while he had been consulted on a formal bid that arrived for an unnamed player this month, the ultimate decision will be made by the club’s administrators as custodians of the Owls’ business interests.
“The administrator have the responsibility for this. I can only inspire,” he said. “I have spoken with the administrator about one concrete offer where he asked me what I felt. Until there comes something more concrete, I think he will ask me but I don't know. I can only give my answer and again I hope we can keep our squad, get some new players and be as competitive as possible.”