What Simon Jordan said about Turki Alalshikh and a Sheffield Wednesday takeover as Saudi billionaire eyes Millwall | OneFootball

Simon Jordan has previously discussed the possibility of Turki Alalshikh taking over a Championship club amid links to Millwall

Simon Jordan has previously outlined that he pushed Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Alalshikh to get into English football amid takeover links with Millwall.

According to the Daily Mail, the businessman is in talks over potentially investing in the Lions after their eighth place finish in the Championship.

The London outfit are currently owned by the Berylson family, with James Berylson acting as chairman, having purchased the club in 2006.

However, their time in control of Millwall could be coming to an end soon, if talks progress and lead to a full takeover.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the club, but here we take a look at what Jordan previously said about their prospective new owner when he suggested that he purchase Sheffield Wednesday earlier this year…

What Simon Jordan said on Turki Alalshikh entering English football ownership with Sheffield Wednesday name-dropped

It has been claimed by talkSPORT that Alalshikh has a "rumoured" net worth of £2.14 billion, making him wealthy enough to step into English football club ownership.

It was on that basis that Jordan originally suggested that the businessman purchase Sheffield Wednesday after ruling himself out of taking control of the Owls from Dejphon Chansiri.

The former Crystal Palace owner opened up on a conversation he had with Alalshikh in which he told him to buy a club like Sheffield Wednesday.

“If I was buying a football club and I was really motivated and had your kind of dough, I would buy Sheffield Wednesday,” Jordan said, via talkSPORT.

“I told him that. We’ll see what they do, they are captains of their own ship aren’t they?

“Be careful what you wish for. We’ve already got enough foreign investment in our football clubs but if this is the direction of travel, that’s the way I’d go.”

Sheffield Wednesday are in a very different position to Millwall currently, despite them being in the same division and only separated by four places this season.

Owls owner Chansiri has come under the spotlight due to financial issues and disagreements with popular manager Danny Rohl, leading to supporters urging him to cash out and sell the club, which hasn't been the case for the Berylson family.

Millwall FC warning issued by SimoN Jordan amid takeover talk

Jordan also discussed the possibility of Alalshikh purchasing a club in London, claiming that there will be a lot of problems he’ll face if a deal went through.

He recommended Sheffield Wednesday as a more enticing prospect, suggesting that being in an area like Yorkshire might be more beneficial than in the capital.

“Because it’s got scale, it’s a big football club,” Jordan added.

“There’s a reason why Hillsborough got used up to a point, for FA Cup semi-finals.

“But I’ve been to that club, I’ve watched it, I’ve seen the fan base.

“I know the Saudis can look across the city at Sheffield United and think their mate who own[ed] that football club hasn’t had the greatest of times over there, but I think it’s a powerhouse.

“If you got that right, as I said to him, they’d put a statue of you in the town.

“If you buy a London football club, and they’re thinking of a couple, I’m not going to tell you who they are, you’ve got a whole wrath of challenges.

“You buy a powerhouse like Sheffield Wednesday that’s in Yorkshire, not just Sheffield that could be garnered and pushed forward, no disrespect to [current owner, Dejphon] Chansiri but somehow or another he’s managed to steal defeat from the jaws of victory.

“They are very bright people and not just because they have a few quid.

“What they are doing is kicking the tires, asking people questions, getting everyone around them whether it’s me, Frank Warren or Eddie Hearn.”

It remains to be seen whether this deal will actually come to fruition, especially as takeover talks can collapse very suddenly and very secretly, but it is an interesting time for Millwall supporters.

The grass isn’t always greener with new owners, especially when James Berylson and Millwall Holdings aren't under any considerable pressure from the fans to sell.

It’s been a particularly stable period for the Lions in recent years, so any takeover could upend that, as well as propel them forwards with greater investment - it's a case of either risk or reward when it comes to this particular situation.