Sheffield Wednesday sale pressure mounts on Dejphon Chansiri amid concerning wages revelation | OneFootball

The Owls owner has admitted he does not know when he will be able to pay outstanding player wages amidst fan pressure to sell the club

Sheffield Wednesday are facing a three-window transfer embargo following the club’s revelation that it has been unable to pay outstanding player wages for the month of March.

News broke on Monday evening that the late payment of wages was due to cashflow issues and debts owed to Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri in his other business interests.

Speaking to The Sheffield Star, Chansiri admitted he did not know when he would receive the money owed to him that would allow the Thai businessman to null his outstanding debts.

The club must pay player wages in full on Monday 7th April in order to avoid a three-window embargo.

Dejphon Chansiri’s shocking interview on player wages and Sheffield Wednesday’s future

Dejphon Chansiri’s interview with The Sheffield Star offered some clarity to Wednesday supporters on the ongoing situation.

"I cannot tell you when, but of course I want to pay. Friday is what I want, but if it is not Friday then I cannot do more. It could be Monday. It can come any minute,” Chansiri told reporter Alex Miller.

"It is mainly the players, it may impact them less, but other people we pay. Our more senior [non-football staff], we pay some, but it is just a few senior people who we paid some.

"I am never going to make any excuse. I am wrong. I am sorry for that. I have not paid them and I am wrong. But it is never my intention, I try.”

The most worrying of the chairman’s admissions came during The Star’s questioning of the club’s future.

The Sheffield paper reports that “Chansiri indicated his belief that while ‘it would be better’ to retain the ability to sign players for transfer and loan fees, the fortunes of the club would be dependent on the recruitment they were able to complete alongside the squad in the summer.”

The Chairman continued: "You can see even Reading for example, they have had a problem with embargos but they could get promoted. Sometimes I do not understand the mindset that outside of buying players it is not good. Actually; buy, loan or free, it doesn't matter.

"It matters that a player fits to your squad or not. It doesn't mean free or loan is always cheaper than to buy, sometimes they are more expensive.”

Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, alongside members of the club’s engagement panel, have on Saturday morning published a statement asking for Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club.

The Trust expresses “dismay” towards the owner’s comments to the Sheffield Star, urging Chansiri to “fulfil his responsibility as steward of the club”.

The statement concludes:

“Yesterday’s statement indicates that Mr. Chansiri no longer has the resources to support his own strategy. It is not normal for a business to lack the ability to meet its contractual obligations to staff.”

“The Trust and EP call on Dejphon Chansiri to do the honourable thing as custodian of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and step aside. We urge him to engage with potential purchasers to determine a fair market value for the club. We will applaud his sacrifice once it is made for the greater good of our proud institution.”

The message has been co-signed on social media by many Wednesday supporters groups, including Armed Forces Owls, Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group, Owls Americas and Southwest & South Wales SWFC Supporters.