The Sheffield Wednesday issue that could affect appointing a Danny Rohl replacement | OneFootball

The ongoing wages issue at Sheffield Wednesday could make it difficult for the club to attract a replacement for manager Danny Rohl.

It has been a turbulent start to the summer for Sheffield Wednesday, and the current crisis at Hillsborough is showing no sign of coming to an imminent end.

Wednesday emerged as surprise play-off contenders after a strong start to last season, but while their promotion push collapsed in the second half of the campaign, a top-half finish still represented good progress after they only narrowly avoided relegation the previous year.

However, events on the pitch were overshadowed by a bitter public dispute between manager Danny Rohl and owner Dejphon Chansiri in the January transfer window, which started after he was denied a move to Southampton in December.

Rohl is widely expected to leave Hillsborough this summer, but there is no clear exit path for him as things stand, and even if he was to move on, the Owls could find it difficult to attract a replacement given their current off-field issues, leaving the club in a serious predicament as the new season draws ever closer.

Dejphon Chansiri could soon be facing another Sheffield Wednesday headache involving Danny Rohl

Southampton were said to have reignited their interest in Rohl after parting company with Ivan Juric following their relegation from the Premier League, and after it was revealed that his release clause stands at just £2 million for Championship clubs, many believed that his move to St Mary's would be a formality this summer.

However, the Saints instead opted to appoint Lens boss Will Still as their new manager, and they are not the only club to shift their focus away from Rohl, with the German no longer said to be in contention for the RB Leipzig job, despite initial speculation linking him with the role.

Rohl is reportedly on the radar of Leicester City, but no final decision has yet been made on the future of current manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, and it remains to be seen whether he would want to take over at the King Power Stadium given that the Foxes could potentially be hit with a hefty points deduction next season.

According to journalist Rob Staton, Rohl recently held "positive talks" with Werder Bremen, but his "excessive and prohibitive" compensation figure, which is believed to be as high as £5 million, proved to be a stumbling block, and the Bundesliga outfit have since named Horst Steffen as Ole Werner's replacement.

Rohl's release clause is also thought to be a problem for Middlesbrough, who are believed to be admirers of the Wednesday manager as they search for a successor to Michael Carrick, so the 36-year-old does appear to be running out of possible escape routes.

Having burned his bridges with the Owls fan base after openly discussing his potential next move in an interview last month, Rohl's position at Hillsborough does feel untenable, but with his list of suitors decreasing and Chansiri unlikely to be able to afford to sack him and pay off the final two years of his contract, he is an increasingly uncomfortable position.

While it is unclear at this stage how Rohl's future will be resolved, it seems highly unlikely that he will remain in charge at Hillsborough next season, meaning Wednesday could soon be on the hunt for a new manager, but given the current turmoil at the club, they may find it difficult to attract anyone of the required standard.

After failing to pay the wages on time in March, the Owls narrowly avoided reaching the maximum 30-day permitted limit for the late payment of player salaries within a single year, but the same issue has now occurred again, and they have not been able to escape punishment on this occasion.

With some players and staff still waiting for their May wages to be paid, almost a week on from when they were initially due, both Wednesday and Chansiri have been charged by the EFL for a breach of the league's regulations, while the club have also been placed under a transfer embargo.

The embargo is expected to be lifted once the outstanding salaries are paid, but should they receive the transfer ban many are expecting, the Owls will be unable to pay fees for players for the next three windows, which would take them through until January 2027.

While the impact of such a sanction on Wednesday's transfer business could be huge, it is also believed that the current restrictions could affect their ability to tie Akin Famewo, Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson down to new contracts, and the loss of those three key players would further weaken what is already a relatively thin squad.

Even if the wages situation is resolved soon, the Owls will be feeling the effects of the saga for many months to come, and with Chansiri clearly short on the finances needed to run the club properly, there are serious question marks over how he will continue to meet his obligations to the club moving forward, with the next round of salaries due to be paid in just a few weeks time.

One possible glimmer of hope for Wednesday is that the EFL's intervention could put pressure on Chansiri to sell the club, but after he recently rejected an improved second offer from a Florida-based consortium, it seems he is determined to cling on to power.

Given the backdrop of chaos at Hillsborough, it is difficult to see who would want to take over at the club in such circumstances, and with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Owls, a relegation battle seems certain to be on the cards next season.