Among the long list of issues at Sheffield Wednesday, links to a move away for their captain Barry Bannan will be up towards the top.
The 35-year-old central midfielder is a legend at Hillsborough after a decade with the club, but his contract expires at the end of this month with his future unclear.
Barry Bannan’s future is far from certain
Bannan, a promotion winner with the club, was offered a contract in Wednesday’s annual retained list, but the results of the discussions are yet to be revealed.
What is known is that the former Leeds United man turned up for the Owls’ training on Thursday, June 26, despite the lingering doubts over his future. That was a show of commitment from Bannan, not taking the opportunity to skip the first day of pre-season preparations, but instead showing up to work.
West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are both linked with moves for the central midfielder, who managed 10 goal involvements across his latest season in Owls’ colours.
Journalist Fraser Fletcher revealed in a social media post that Wrexham were also in the running alongside the Baggies and Stoke, while the Sheffield Star have reported that Bannan is keen to stay despite the off-field turmoil that continually engulfs Hillsborough.
An exit of the well-respected Scotsman is not what anyone needs at the Owls, not only for his on-field ability, but for his strong presence around the club as the current captain. His long-standing ties to Wednesday make him one of the most important players at the club, not to mention his tremendous ability to impact their fortunes on the pitch.
Even in his mid-30s, Bannan remains one of Wednesday’s best players and one that can be relied on in the moments that matter with a killer pass or incisive decision. If he does move on from Sheffield this summer, it will be a massive loss for the club.
Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be keen to see him stay
The Owls legend has played close to 450 times for the blue side of Sheffield, with 72 assists and 34 goals to his name.
| Barry Bannan’s last five seasons at Sheffield Wednesday (source:Â Transfermarkt) | |||
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2020/21 – Championship | 49 | 2 | 6 |
| 2021/22 – League One | 50 | 9 | 12 |
| 2022/23 – League One | 48 | 7 | 12 |
| 2023/24 – Championship | 45 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024/25 – Championship | 44 | 4 | 6 |
While his future remains up in the air, his commitment to Wednesday cannot be ignored. Turning up for training despite the troubled water that the club find themselves in is testament to his work ethic and love for the Owls in spite of his contract situation.
The first day of Wednesday’s pre-season training was overshadowed by Dejphon Chansiri’s statement about American businessman John Textor and the offers to buy the club from the consortium he is a part of, uncertainty over the state of the Middlewood Road training ground, and reports that Danny Rohl is in discussions to leave the club.
Bannan’s grandfather Tommy played for Wrexham during his footballing career, so it remains no surprise that the Welsh Dragons have been linked to the 35-year-old. However, in West Brom and Stoke there is yet more opportunity that the Owls’ legend will not pull on the blue and white striped shirt in a competitive game again.
There are plenty of stress-inducing headaches at Wednesday, but the future of Bannan is certainly one that will play on fans’ minds. There is no doubting how big a loss he would be: it is not what the Owls need right now.
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