Owls Set For Takeover Talks

Owls Chairman Dave Allen is set to open talks with a multi-millionaire foreign casino-owner later the month - and will offer the businessman the chance to buy the club according to reports.

The news comes out of the blue for most Wednesday fans after Allen previously rejected approaches for the club from now-Leeds United chairman Ken Bates and boxing promoter Dennis Hobson and his consortium.

And Allen told the Sheffield Star he wants a 'Roman Abramovich' type man at the Hillsborough helm.

'We are not looking for small-time people, we are looking for a mega-rich businessman like Roman Abramovich at Chelsea who wants to buy a football club for a hobby. 'Bob (Grierson) and I have been talking to interested parties and I shall be speaking again to someone from overseas in the third week of January.' Allen told the Star.

And of the mysterious casino-owner, Allen added: 'This man has made money from casinos overseas and has vast wealth. At the moment things are at a very sensitive stage but someone like that on board would really help the club.'

Allen has insisted that any potential buyer would require £25 million to buy control of the club - and has previously insisted that the Owls are not an attractive offer to potential buyers in their current state.

And he revealed that the current board would need to reach the 51 per cent mark to gain total control of the club to make the sale of the Owls a more attractive offer.

'There are one or two people interested in investing in the club but we have to have 51 per cent of the shares to be able to sell it on. I have been buying up shares and I will continue to do so. We need to reach that 51 per cent.' he continued.

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