Sheffield Wednesday to replace Barry Bannan? Henrik Pedersen drops EFL transfer update | OneFootball

Henrik Pedersen has revealed whether Sheffield Wednesday will be able to bring in a replacement for their influential midfielder

Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to source a replacement for long-serving star Barry Bannan as he closed in on an emotional switch to Championship rivals Millwall, marking yet another notable low point in a campaign marred by on and off-pitch disaster for the Steel City side.

The legendary Owls midfielder is set to end his 10-and-a-half-year association with Wednesday in the coming days, as a teary goodbye at Bristol City on Saturday all but confirms the 36-year-old's departure, with Millwall seemingly the side to pick Bannan up.

Wednesday were afforded two loan spots in the ongoing January window to help bolster an already light squad that had been ravaged by injuries throughout the campaign. They used those to bring in goalkeeper Murphy Cooper and midfielder Jaden Heskey, but will be eyeing another signing in through the door amid Bannan's impending exit.

Sheffield Wednesday waits for EFL approval to replace Barry Bannan

Sheffield Wednesday are waiting for a decision from the EFL to see if they'll be able to replace Bannan with a free agent or loan player between now and the end of the January transfer window.

However, with Harry Amass joining Norwich City on loan for the rest of the campaign following a positive, productive first half of the season at Hillsborough, the Owls are understood to be allowed to bring in a replacement for him, according to the Sheffield Star.

And the same report reads that Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen is hopeful that the same will apply to replacing Bannan as and when the 36-year-old does depart.

Bannan has seemingly made his 477th and final Sheffield Wednesday appearance, with a move to Millwall on the cards.

However, while the announcement of the end of the 36-year-old's decade-and-a-half-long tenure will be a sad day at Hillsborough, Wednesday cannot afford to lick their wounds too much, as ensuring that an already depleted squad gets a replacement for the influential captain is paramount.

Right now, the ability to replace him is up in the air, as, according to Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen, per a report from the Sheffield Star, the EFL has to grant permission for someone to come in first.

After the club has been allowed to bring in someone to replace Amass, who hasn't rejoined Wednesday for the latter stages of the campaign, the Owls chief is hopeful that the same precedent can be applied to this situation.

"We still have one option, one position, instead of Harry," he said after the Bristol City defeat.

"We try to find a solution for this, and this is the first part. We will then speak to the EFL about what we can do next.

"Now, with Barry, I'm sure we can also do something. We have to wait for an answer if we can have a loan or a free transfer player."

With the winter window set to close on February 2nd, those at Hillsborough will be hoping that an answer can come sooner rather than later, so they can have more time to plan for Bannan's replacement.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a positive EFL decision after a depleted squad is gutted further

Right now on the field, it's looking bleaker than ever for Sheffield Wednesday.

The sight of Amass in a different shirt after such a bright opening to the campaign at Hillsborough was a gut punch; their inevitable relegation to League One looks set to be confirmed in the coming weeks, and to make matters worse, their leader, someone who Wednesday fans never thought would leave them, looks set to move on.

The Owls have lost every game in 2026 without scoring a goal. Evidently, they need all the help that they can get, and they'll be hoping that the EFL can have some mercy and allow them to replace Bannan before the window closes.

That being said, there's no doubt that whoever does come in to fill the 36-year-old's shoes won't be able to replicate how much the Wednesday legend means to those at Hillsborough.

It's been a hopeless season for Sheffield Wednesday, and those who felt it couldn't get worse as the year's gone on have been proven wrong as the January window has gone on.

Owls fans are desperate for some good news, and while there'll still be some bitterness about Bannan's departure, the opportunity to bring in a replacement will at least give something for those at Hillsborough to smile about.