How Millwall feel about offloading Barry Bannan to Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Millwall are open to letting Barry Bannan leave this summer, with Sheffield Wednesday seeking a deal for their former captain.

Sheffield Wednesday are set for a massive summer window as they begin life under Arise Capital Partners.

It has been a turbulent period for the Owls, and there were doubts over the future of the club due to the mismanagement under Dejphon Chansiri.

Pleasingly for the Owls, the US group led by the Storch family completed their takeover of the Yorkshire outfit, and it has lifted the mood going into the 2026/27 campaign, which will be in League One.

Millwall are open to Barry Bannan departure amid Sheffield Wednesday return talk

Even though the Owls are under a new regime, and they won’t be hit with a points deduction, they still have a lot of work to do in order to be competitive next season.

Henrik Pedersen has worked with a weak squad for the past 12 months, with Wednesday relying on a lot of academy lads and free transfers.

So, a busy window is on the cards, and it has been reported that Wednesday are looking to bring Barry Bannan back to the club.

The Scotsman is a legend at Hillsborough, having made almost 500 appearances after spending over a decade at the club before leaving for Millwall in January.

Yet, the move to The Den didn’t really go to plan, as the Lions lost in the play-offs, and Bannan didn’t play as much as he would’ve wanted.

Therefore, the prospect of returning to Wednesday may appeal, and, in a crucial development, journalist Joe Crann has stated that Millwall are ready to let Bannan leave.

The 36-year-old still has one year to run on his contract in the capital, but it’s said that both clubs are ‘open to getting a deal done’.

Barry Bannan would be a statement signing for new-look Sheffield Wednesday

You can understand why Bannan left Wednesday in the January window. He had been brilliant for the club over the years, showing real loyalty during difficult times, but he wanted a shot at the Premier League with Millwall.

Obviously, that didn’t happen, and with Sheffield Wednesday’s takeover having been completed, along with his situation at Millwall, it has changed the dynamic.

At his age, Bannan will want to play regularly, but that’s unlikely to happen for Alex Neil’s side, who will fancy their chances of pushing for automatic promotion again.

Realistically, Bannan isn’t at that level anymore, and whilst he could still do a job at a lot of Championship clubs, his emotional connection with Wednesday means he would surely rather return to Hillsborough.

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From Wednesday’s perspective, this would be a no-brainer on so many levels. As mentioned, he will still be a standout player in the third tier, and Bannan is a leader.

Those qualities will be massive in what is likely to be a new dressing room, and Pedersen knows he can rely on someone like Bannan to be a positive influence on younger players.

Of course, the fans would love to welcome the ex-Aston Villa man back to the club, as they recognise what he has given to the club since he first joined in 2015.

So, if there is a way of getting this done, then Sheffield Wednesday must do all they can to get it over the line, as it would be a statement addition for the new owners, and a show of real intent as they try to build a squad that can challenge for promotion next season.