This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk was told earlier in his reign that he would be given funds to sign some players of his own in January, and even though that hasn’t changed, the ability to do so has just been made all that tougher.
Last week, the EFL announced that following a formal investigation, they have charged the club with financial misconduct surrounding the sale of Hillsborough to owner Dejphon Chansiri.
The ground was sold for approximately £60m in order to offset any debt for the year 2017/18, but there were doubts over how and when this actually happened.
Wednesday released a statement shortly after claiming they will contest the charges, although no clear punishment has yet been decided.
Football finance expert and university lecturer Kieran Maguire believes the south Yorkshire club will face a minimum penalty of a hefty 12 points deduction while they haven’t been prone to the odd transfer embargo in the past either.
Either way, the EFL could make an example out of the Owls, and this will only cause mayhem for the job the manager has at his hands.
Any potential signing is now going to look at this situation and have to consider it before making a move, regardless of whether they are punished this season or not.
If they are indeed penalised as Maguire predicts, the season will drastically change from being in playoff contention to a relegation scrap, just like that.
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They currently sit three points outside of the playoff zone, which makes the club an exciting proposition for any new player as they’ll hopefully be helping the side earn a spot in the Premier League, but with a deduction, they’ll only be outside the relegation zone on goal difference, meaning a player may not want to risk his career by getting a blemish on his record.
Therefore, Monk’s task has got so much harder as there’s such an air of uncertainty surrounding this incident that it may prove difficult to attract players to bolster his squad this January.
