Exclusive: Chris Waddle issues transfer warning to Dejphon Chansiri at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Owls legend Chris Waddle believes Chansiri is limiting Hillsborough’s transfer pull

Sheffield Wednesday's summer of uncertainty continues with takeover rumours swirling Hillsborough, and doubts intensifying over who will take the managerial reins next season.

The 2024/25 campaign has seen Wednesday lurch from one crisis to another under Chansiri's stewardship - with unpaid wages, tax bills and deteriorating relationships with supporters creating an atmosphere of constant uncertainty.

Despite finishing in a respectable mid-table position, the club's off-field issues have dominated headlines, with fan protests becoming increasingly common as the season progressed.

With the summer transfer window approaching, Wednesday find themselves in limbo. Current boss Danny Röhl has earned widespread praise for stabilising performances on the pitch, but uncertainty over his own future has cast further doubt on the Owls’ future prospects.

Chris Waddle believes Sheffield Wednesday can attract top free agents with new ownership

Speaking exclusively with Football League World about the club's appeal to potential summer signings, former Owls winger and England international Chris Waddle didn't hold back in his assessment of what makes Wednesday an attractive destination - and how critical new ownership could be.

“Well, a lot of these guys who will be free agents haven't played for any club bigger than Sheffield Wednesday. The support is - it’s a magnificently supported club.” Waddle told FLW.

“The way support sells out every away game. When you get, unfortunately home forms being poor this year, but if you can get a home form going, obviously teams don't like coming to Hillsborough. It's quite an intimidating place, I think, for away players and a lot of these players who Wednesday will be in the market for, they've never played at a club that size.

“I'm not saying, you know, they might have been playing with somebody who plays in front of 15,000 or 18,000 you know, not the size of Sheffield Wednesday, and what a challenge it is.

“And you know, it’s hard to sell at the minute, because you're going to say ‘sign for us, but I don't know who the manager's going to be and I don't know who's going to be in charge’.

“This is the problem, you know, I think if you get this guy to take over this football club, I think he'll have players knocking on the door, I mean, good quality players, to say, ‘please sign me’.

“I think if it stays as it is with the regime, I think you’re going to find it hard to talk players into coming because they're going to say, well, ‘you've very hit and miss, I don't think there’s ambition to get the Premier League, I don't think you're good enough to get in the Premier League’. So that might scare a few players off.

“But it's all on his takeover. If this takeover could come through quickly, I think you get the pick of that division, and probably some Premier League players that would drop out the Premier League to play for Sheffield Wednesday, definitely.”

Takeover could unlock Sheffield Wednesday's sleeping giant potential this summer

Waddle's assessment aligns with the growing sentiment among supporters that Wednesday's potential is being severely hampered by the current ownership structure. Despite its Premier League-ready infrastructure, rich history, and loyal fanbase, the club has struggled to mount a serious promotion challenge since relegation from the top flight in 2000.

Average attendances at Hillsborough have remained remarkably consistent despite the turmoil, with over 26,500 fans regularly filling the historic stadium this season - figures that would be the envy of many Championship clubs.

The reported interest from multiple consortiums suggests that outside investors recognise the untapped potential of Wednesday - something that could be quickly realised under new ownership.

For a fanbase that has endured significant disappointment in recent years, his optimism about what could be achieved offers a tantalising glimpse of what might lie ahead.

With the club's status as a sleeping giant of English football long established, this summer could prove decisive in determining whether Wednesday can finally begin the journey back to where many believe they belong - competing at the highest level of the English game.

As the takeover saga unfolds, Waddle's assessment serves as a powerful reminder of what makes Wednesday special - and just how significant the coming weeks could be for the future trajectory of one of football's most historic institutions.