David Storch told to re-sign Barry Bannan for Sheffield Wednesday but sent warning | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club look to re-sign former captain Barry Bannan this summer.

As Arise Capital Partners close in on a takeover of the club, Sheffield Wednesday will soon be starting preparations for life back in League One.

It has been a nightmare season for Wednesday, who are still in administration almost six months on from former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit in October, and they suffered the earliest relegation in English football history when their fate was confirmed in February.

However, there could be some good news on the horizon for long-suffering Owls supporters, with growing optimism that the takeover by Arise, a consortium led by David Storch, could be completed before the final game of the campaign against West Bromwich Albion next month, although it remains to be seen whether the club will be hit with a 15-point deduction next season.

While Arise are not yet officially in charge at Hillsborough, manager Henrik Pedersen has already started preparations for the summer transfer window, and it was revealed earlier this month that internal talks have taken place about a potential move to re-sign former captain Barry Bannan.

After a 10-and-a-half year spell at Wednesday that saw him score 37 goals and provide 75 assists in 477 appearances for the club, Bannan departed in January to join Championship promotion chasers Millwall, with the London outfit fighting off competition from the likes of Stoke City, Preston North End, Motherwell and Hibernian to land the Scot's signature.

However, Bannan has failed to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up at The Den so far, leading to speculation that he may be allowed to depart this summer, and it appears an emotional return to South Yorkshire could be on the cards.

Sheffield Wednesday urged to seal Barry Bannan reunion this summer on one condition

When asked if the club should be at the front of the queue if Bannan becomes available, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna insisted he would be delighted to see the 36-year-old return to Hillsborough, but he warned the Owls not to build the team around the midfielder.

"If Barry Bannan does become available this summer, Sheffield Wednesday should definitely look into the possibility of bringing him back," Patrick told FLW.

"It's been said so many times before what an absolute legend he is at the club.

"What he has done for the club, you don't get from many players these days.

"If he came back, he would seamlessly fit into the squad.

"To have an option like him in League One would be brilliant.

"One thing this season is that we haven't been able to turn to the bench, and if we had someone like Barry Bannan there as an option in a game, that would be fantastic.

"I'm saying this because, if he did come back, he couldn't be starting and finishing every game.

"We can't be building the team around Bannan, but to have him in the squad as an option would be really good.

"I've mentioned before that we need a balance of youth and experience, and for experience of Sheffield Wednesday, who would be better than Barry Bannan?

"I'm aware that if he was to come back, we would need to sort out the wages, and if we are on restrictions, we'd have to see if we could afford Bannan.

"But it would be great if something could be worked out, and, personally, I would love to see Barry Bannan coming back to Sheffield Wednesday.

"I do hope that something could be sorted and we could be starting with him next season."

Sheffield Wednesday facing tough Barry Bannan dilemma amid Hillsborough return talk

Few Wednesday supporters blamed Bannan for deciding to walk away from the club in January given the off-field turmoil, but there may be more of a split among the fanbase about his potential return this summer.

Having shown glimpses of his quality since his move to Millwall, some Owls fans will feel that Bannan could still be a huge asset for the club in League One next season, but others may argue that it is the perfect time to move on from the midfielder as the club begin a new era under Arise's ownership.

Prior to his January exit, Bannan regularly stated his desire to remain at Hillsborough for the rest of his career, and while it is unclear whether Millwall will be prepared to let him go this summer, it seems unlikely that his Wednesday story is over just yet.