Dejphon Chansiri drops worrying statement with it about to get worse for Sheffield Wednesday

Dejphon Chansiri drops a worrying statement with it about to potentially get much worse for Sheffield Wednesday.

The chairman of Sheffield Wednesday spoke to The Star, acknowledging that the club is at risk of facing a three-window transfer embargo due to unpaid player wages for March.

This situation stems from financial difficulties linked to cashflow issues, specifically delays in payments owed to Chansiri from his external business interests.

He has stated that the club must settle these outstanding wages by Monday, April 7th at the latest to avoid the embargo, which would prevent Sheffield Wednesday from registering new players involving transfer or loan fees for three consecutive transfer windows.

Chansiri has admitted he cannot guarantee when the necessary funds will be available, as he is still awaiting money owed to him. While some staff have reportedly received partial or full payments recently, senior players remain unpaid as of the latest updates.

This precarious financial position has raised concerns among fans and observers about the club’s stability under Chansiri’s ownership.

🚨Sheffield Wednesday must pay money owed to players on Monday latest – or face three-window EFL transfer embargo.

Dejphon Chansiri admits he cannot guarantee it will be paid. Season ticket money spent. Staff paid today.

Full story👇https://t.co/Mc2nPWF786#SWFC🦉

— Alex Miller (@AlexMiller91) April 4, 2025

Speaking just days from potentially being hit with a three-window embargo, he admitted he was unsure as to when he expected to receive the money owed to him.

“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,” he said. “I spoke with them (those who owe him money), they said they are trying to do it. It is normal. It is a domino effect or something like this. When you do business, you understand any company is short on cashflow or they do not get paid, it is normal is business. I do my best to solve everything.

“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. Even in the situation with no revenue, in Covid, I tried. People know me. They know I do not like to owe anyone money. I do not like to create trouble for anybody. I tried everything my best to do it.”

The news after the club put on sale their early bird season tickets, a figure amounting to millions of pounds, as well as not insignificant windfalls from a sold-out Sheffield derby and sales in the club shop. Chansiri denied talk that they had suffered any payment issues with kit supplier Macron, and added that the season ticket money had been spent and wasn’t able to reference any unexpected costs when asked. That windfall has been spent on running costs alone, he claimed.

“We spend £2m every month on average,” he said. “Some months maybe I don’t need to inject, some months I have to inject. The season ticket money has gone on costs. Our expenditure is high, the season tickets are a few million – it does not last months and months. It is not like that. The money has been spent on costs. The majority is always the player wages. These are not unexpected costs, we know what we need.

“You may ask why I don’t have money on hand, but I don’t keep money on hand, I need it to invest. I need to use the money, not everyone in business is going to have a lot of money on hand except those who do not invest for example. After 10 years of course my money is less. If I do not invest, then how are we going to generate money to invest in the club?

“The money we get from the fans helps of course. It does not mean fans’ money does not help. We are managed on loss, the majority of clubs run on a loss, even in the Premier League. We lost millions last year, even when the fan money comes in, it still needs to come out. Most clubs rely on the club owner.

“The club relies on my money. The expenditure for the club is very big, it is not easy. I can just say I will do my best.”

Chansiri expressed an interest in remaining as owner of Sheffield Wednesday – but is open to potential buyers, with an example that if a ‘Prince from the Middle East’ was put in a bid that would be good enough to see Wednesday’s chances of getting into the Premier League boosted, then it would be only then he’d accept the deal, which wouldn’t just based on money, but that it had to be the right people.

Sheffield Wednesday’s cashflow problems shame Dejphon Chansiri. A famous club, its staff, playing staff and supporters deserve better. #SWFC 🦉 pic.twitter.com/nR35mdHlxr

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 1, 2025

The issue is, there hasn’t been any no firm concrete approaches for the club recently. He took issued with suggestion that he was relaxed about the situation.

“How do you know I am relaxed?” he said. “I am the leader. I am not the kind of person to cry or something. When we played in Peterborough and lost 4-0 people asked me; ‘You don’t feel anything?’ Because I looked normal. I put it inside. It does not mean I relax, I do not need to show you I am serious, I am not an actor. I am straight-forward. Inside it is more hurt than I show. Unless you know me, you not understand.”

On if he shared the The Star’s view that a three-window embargo is ‘catastrophic’ for the future of the club, Chansiri added 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 terms of an EFL embargo do allow clubs to register free agent players to fulfil a squad and on the same basis loan players can be signed if there is no loan fee involved.

Chansiri said: “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.

“Of course, some players we maybe need to sell, but whatever happens must happen. Even if we get an embargo, it does not mean we cannot bring in players. You may say we could only bring lesser players but it depends on the way we recruit. Of course it would not be good as if you’re not under embargo, but it’s not going to be the last day of your life.

“When we recruited in the summer, my coach said he wanted five or six players, then 11 and I supported that. He said we could be in the play-offs. This means our players are good enough, right? This is not me saying it, the coach said this. The fans say I do not invest in January, it is not true. At the end, it is the decision of the coach.”

Twitter users reacted as Dejphon Chansiri drops a worrying statement with it about to get worse for Sheffield Wednesday…

@ElmParkRoyals: Even as a Reading fan that’s a scary statement from your owner

@royalsam1981: Wow. Just wow. 🙄🫣🤦‍♂️

@ConorHill9: 🤯 better the devil you know tho according to some… we are up shit creek without a paddle blokes skint and talking about getting promoted with points deduction and transfer window bans 😂🤣 welcome to the circus that is #swfc #EnoughIsEnough

@deanocx: He’s showing the early signs of a Dai Yongge v2. Get him out whilst you can #readingfc #swfc

@JTSHEEPS35: He’s surely not compared us to reading a club that’s somehow in a worse mess than us

@sawyer_macca: Reading who are weeks away from not being a club anymore you big fucking dope

@Afoxich: I actually think that’s quite a stark and honest admission. 1. Of the truth. 2. That he will just never understand it. 3. He will actually sell. If you’re a serious investor reading that, there’s no way you don’t make an offer if you are legit. #SWFC

@JozephSM: Maybe the most insane quote he’s ever come out with. There are no positives of being under a 3-window embargo. None. There’s no way of twisting it.

@bethanyclemency: Can’t believe Dai Yongge has literally given Chansiri ideas

@Dubstep1988:
Everyone else in football: “you see what’s happening at Reading and it’s a disgrace/crying shame/scandal/sign of a broken game.”
Chansiri: “you see what’s happening at Reading and it’s given me an idea!”
Actually unbelievable.

@civetta: fuck off, holding up *Reading* as an example #swfc @sellbeforewedai

@_HelenJones_: Totally out of his depth now. He’s tried, we had some good stints but ultimately it hasn’t worked. We’re not in the Prem, next season be very lucky to avoid relegation to League 1. We’re no better off and the ground, facilities and academy is 10 years behind other clubs. #swfc

@harvey_walters_: Anyone who’s ever said “his heart is in the right place” needs to have a word with themselves

@GTM992: Preparing everyone for the future. Transfer embargoes suit a man with no money. We can self sustain in League One, he thinks, whilst still paying him back £3mill a year for the Stadium he sold himself. Below the Champ. we can effectively exist to pay him back and nothing else .

@fittall1987: We are in a worse situation than I first thought. He’s mental. For clarity though Dejphon, Reading have dipped into one of the best academies in the country to keep themselves going. While we do have some bright talent coming through there’s simply no comparison

@RDG1871: Pray for #swfc. The thing about history is we never learn from history…. And nor does the @EFL We feel your pain. #readingfc

@Dubstep1988: Imagine describing Reading Football Club as a positive role model. Thoughts and prayers with Wednesday fans. #readingfc #swfc

@roblittlewood: EFL should fine owners directly and not punish fans, players, staff. If owner doesn’t pay, mandatory sale of club

@dbowler17: What’s also worrying is the statement towards the end… “all the season ticket money has been spent”… wow 😳

@OvO_2017: Surely the efl step in now because what is fit and proper about this! #swfc

@GP1867: Everything. This man says makes things worse. It works in our favour though. Everytime he opens his trap he proves us right

@kylepem17: Either way hes playing games he will pay 1 minute before its due to show his worth or rohl is off in the summer so we basically can only get frees and loans the new manager coming in will no this and he doesn’t get accused of not backing the manager. Tragic of a chairman