Adam Shaw’s consortium had two takeover offers for Sheffield Wednesday rejected in 2025, but the clearest contemporaneous account of what happened came from consortium member John Flanagan—not Shaw. Flanagan said the group received no counter-offer and was “no closer to taking ownership” after its second bid. The reported offer amounts were later disputed by then-owner Dejphon Chansiri.
What was said about the rejected bids?
On 5 June 2025, BBC Sport reported comments by John Flanagan, a member of the US-based consortium seeking to buy Sheffield Wednesday. Flanagan said the group first approached the club in April with an offer that was promptly rejected. He said it returned with an improved offer about a week and a half before his interview, and that offer was also rejected without a counter-offer. BBC Sport’s 5 June report attributes these statements to Flanagan’s BBC Radio Sheffield interview.
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Flanagan described the proposal as including money upfront and additional payments tied to the club achieving certain successes. He called the process “the most unique to say the least” and said the consortium was “no closer to taking ownership” at that point. These are Flanagan’s comments on behalf of the group; they should not be presented as a direct statement by Shaw.
How much did the consortium offer?
The reported amounts are disputed, and the available accounts do not establish a single agreed valuation or a fully comparable set of terms.
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| Account | Reported amount and terms | What the account establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Shaw’s reported account, as covered by Sky Sports | $65 million for the first offer and $75 million for the second; the cited account does not establish a breakdown between upfront money and conditional payments. | These are figures attributed to Shaw by Sky Sports, not a settled valuation or independently confirmed offer structure. Sky Sports’ report covers the disagreement. |
| Then-owner Dejphon Chansiri’s 26 June 2025 statement | He described the first offer as $40 million plus limited future payments if the club reached the Premier League, and the second as £40 million plus limited future payments tied to Premier League promotion. | These are Chansiri’s stated figures and terms, which differ from the amounts attributed to Shaw. BBC Sport’s explainer also reports Chansiri’s account of an offer of £40 million plus limited future Premier League promotion payments. BBC Sport’s 18 June explainer. |
The figures cannot be reconciled from the cited accounts. They differ in currency and amount, and the available descriptions do not provide consistent details for comparing guaranteed cash with conditional future payments. It is therefore more accurate to say that the bids were rejected and that Shaw’s reported figures were publicly disputed than to state a definitive offer value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Shaw say he was still pursuing Sheffield Wednesday?
The available contemporaneous BBC account does not quote Shaw directly, and the sources cited here do not establish a later public clarification from him about whether the consortium continued its pursuit. Flanagan’s comments describe the group’s position immediately after the rejections: it had received no counter-offer and was no closer to ownership.
Was Shaw’s consortium ultimately successful?
The later ownership outcome came through a separate sale process, not a takeover by Shaw’s consortium. A secondary timeline for the 2025–26 season records Arise Capital Partners LLC as the buyer on 2 May 2026. Because that outcome is recorded here in a secondary timeline rather than a cited club or EFL announcement, it should be treated as a reported later development rather than proof of any further statement by Shaw. The season timeline.
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