Sheffield Wednesday: ‘Four or five’ serious bidders for club

Wigfield hopes the sales process will move quickly and a group can have preferred status-bidder next month, with a view to buy on Wednesday before the end of the year.

“Due to EFL rules, we have to brand the club within 28 days,” he said. “So it will be at least 28 days before we get close to a preferred bidder status.

“So I hope that at the end of November, if things go well, we can find out who will buy the football club.

“Then it is expected that an agreement can be concluded in this calendar year, so the new owner will be in … The January Transfer Window, when the EFL allows the new owner to buy players.”

Wednesday’s fans returned in their thousands on Saturday after their previous boycott and the best ever crowd of 27,261 witnessed Oxford at Hillsborough.

Wigfields said supporters have already spent more than £500,000 on tickets and the club shop to keep the owls going.

“We had no money to start with, but the fans have already put in over half a million pounds since last Friday by buying tickets and merchandise,” he added.

“So the answer is unbelievable, but we have to continue to raise money to pay the wages next Friday.

“That’s why more tickets are being sold for the next home games now and we need the fans to keep buying. But it’s a difficult situation, but that’s what we need.”