The financial impacts of relegation on Sheffield Wednesday have been labelled as 'massive' by former player Jon Newsome, in speaking to Football League World exclusively.

The Owls have had a really tough campaign and, as things stand, they are on the verge of dropping into League One.

Of course, they still have a chance with their win over Blackburn on Tuesday night combining with Derby's loss against Preston giving them hope, but they'll also need Rotherham United to do them a favour as well.

Certainly, it's obvious that the financial side of things at Wednesday has got very tough in recent years and, of course, the pandemic has hardly helped things with no matchday revenue for twelve months now.

And, for Jon Newsome, that combined with the hit of relegation could potentially be 'massive' for the Owls.

He said to Football League World exclusively:

"I'm led to believe there are 14 players without a contract this summer at Sheffield Wednesday, which is a massive number.

"It's been a difficult season but, in all honesty, it's been a difficult season for the last three seasons.

"Dejphon Chansiri came into the club, and he chucked a load of money at the football club and wanted to get them into the Premier League and it didn't work. He got close, we got to the playoff final, but didn't achieve it.

"The wage bill is or was enormous at the club. They're now looking down at the trapdoor to [League One] and the financial impacts on the football club, not just from the pandemic over the last 12 months but from relegation will be absolutely massive."

Regardless of what happens in the final weeks of the season, the Owls face a rather important summer with the future of many players really up in the air right now.

Certainly, the squad is set for a huge shake-up and the hope will just be for Darren Moore that they can at least offer Championship football next season to those players that are still a part of the club.