Southampton FC may have fresh Danny Rohl concern as big Sheffield Wednesday takeover news emerges | OneFootball

A potential takeover at Sheffield Wednesday could have big implications for Southampton's pursuit of Danny Rohl.

Southampton are preparing for life back in the Championship following a nightmare season in the Premier League.

After a disastrous campaign, Southampton suffered the earliest ever relegation from the Premier League when their fate was confirmed with seven games remaining following the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

Just a day after being consigned to the drop, the Saints parted company with manager Ivan Juric following just two wins from his 16 games in charge, and Simon Rusk was handed the reigns on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Southampton currently have just 10 points to their name, so their focus for the remainder of the campaign will be on avoiding breaking Derby County's record for the lowest ever points total in top flight history, but attention is already starting to turn to the managerial appointment in the summer.

A host of names have been linked with the Saints in the past week, including Liam Rosenior, Frank Lampard and Will Still, but having previously targeted him in December following the sacking of Russell Martin, it has been claimed that Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is the club's first choice.

Southampton will be confident they can land Danny Rohl this summer

Rohl previously spent time at Southampton as assistant to Ralph Hasenhuttl, and the club were keen to bring him back as manager in December, but they were reportedly unwilling to pay his £4 million release clause.

However, the compensation fee the Saints would need to pay for Rohl will reduce to just £2 million once they are officially a Championship club, meaning that there should be no such barriers to a move this time around.

With Rohl clearly unhappy at being denied a move to St Mary's, the situation led to a breakdown in communication between him and Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri, and their disagreement played out in the public domain, with the pair not speaking until the middle of the January transfer window.

Rohl and Chansiri have now resolved their differences, but the speculation over his future has had a detrimental effect on the Owls, who have won just five of their 19 league games since the rumours of the German being on Southampton's radar initially emerged before Christmas, and having previously been in play-off contention, they now sit 14th in the Championship table.

If his strained personal relationship with Chansiri was not enough to convince Rohl to move on in the summer, there were further off-field issues at Hillsborough earlier this month when Chansiri failed to pay the players' March wages on time due to cashflow issues.

Wednesday may have narrowly avoided a three-window transfer ban after coming dangerously close to the maximum 30-day limit permitted for late payment of player salaries and HMRC debt in a single year, but the saga again highlighted the chaotic nature of Chansiri's ownership, and Rohl will find it difficult to fulfil his managerial ambitions while working under those conditions.

However, while Rohl looks destined to depart in the summer as things stand, there is one thing that could potentially change his stance on his future.

Sheffield Wednesday takeover could impact Southampton's Danny Rohl pursuit

With discontent towards Chansiri increasing, Wednesday supporters protested against his ownership during the 1-0 home defeat to Oxford United on Saturday as they turned their backs on the game in the 10th minute, representing the number of years since his takeover of the club.

Prior to the game, Chansiri had released a statement apologising for the late payment of wages, and he revealed that while no offers had been made to buy the club, he would be willing to sell to "the right individual, or group, to take our club forward".

Talk of a potential takeover at Hillsborough gathered pace on Monday morning after The Star revealed that three parties were considering investing in the Owls, with two based in the United States and one based in the UK, although the report insisted that no contact has been made and no bids have been tabled.

Of course, it is all speculation at this stage, but the possible arrival of new owners with greater financial resources and a fresh long-term vision would surely be welcomed by Rohl after his negative experience with Chansiri, and it could even convince him to remain at Hillsborough, which would be a big blow for Southampton.

Unfortunately for Wednesday, takeovers are often a lengthy process, and with no deal imminent, it seems likely that Chansiri will still be in charge heading into the summer, meaning that Rohl's departure is a near certainty.

With fellow Championship-bound side Leicester City and German outfit RB Leipzig also believed to be keen on Rohl, there is no guarantee that he will be making the move to St Mary's, but given their long-standing interest in him, the Saints are the favourites to land the 35-year-old's signature.