The Barry Bannan decision that new Sheffield Wednesday owners must make | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's new owners must make their Barry Bannan status clear

Sheffield Wednesday’s new owners must take a firm stance on Barry Bannan’s future.

The Owls have been in administration since late October, due to former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s inability to pay a £1m HMRC bill.

Although Wednesday were hit with an automatic 12-point deduction, which has since been increased to 18, there has been no shortage of interest in a potential takeover.

As many as 80 parties showed an interest in purchasing the Owls, with that list since whittled down to only the most serious options by the administrators.

Some interested groups have since pulled out of the running, such as a consortium led by ex-Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT host Simon Jordan. Sheffield-born insurance tycoon Ryan Howsam backed Jordan’s bid to take over the Owls, but concerns about compensating Chansiri ultimately put an end to that prospect.

Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley made an initial offer of £20m to become Sheffield Wednesday’s new owner but saw that approach immediately bettered by three other parties.

It was recently reported that Ashley, US Billionaire John McEvoy and ex-professional poker star James Bord are the three most likely candidates to purchase the Steel City side.

Further reports suggest none of those trio have been able to lodge a bid suitable enough to grant them exclusivity, which means that supporters will have to wait even longer to find out who their new owners are. No matter who takes over Sheffield Wednesday, there is one decision they must make concerning Barry Bannan.

Sheffield Wednesday’s new owners must keep Barry Bannan

2025 has been a year of turmoil for Sheffield Wednesday, with Chansiri almost running the club into the ground with his financial mismanagement and inability to pay playing staff.

During this period, many players opted to leave Hillsborough. Operators such as Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Djeidi Gassama and Pol Valentin all decided to move on to pastures new, leaving Wednesday with a vastly inexperienced squad.

Although there was extensive transfer interest in his services, one man chose to remain at Wednesday throughout. That man being Bannan, who decided to extend his decade-long stay with the Steel City side even further in the summer.

The 36-year-old has been the Owls’ best player for a number of years now, and is a status he hasn’t relinquished during the first half of this campaign too.

Even though the quality of players surrounding him isn’t the highest, Bannan has continued to shine, starting all 21 of Wednesday's second-tier matches thus far.

He creates over two chances every game for his teammates and has over five expected assists, which when compared to his actual tally of two, highlights the level he is performing at compared to the rest of the squad.

As soon as a new owner is selected to take over Sheffield Wednesday, one of the first things they must do is address Bannan’s situation.

The midfielder’s contract at Hillsborough is set to expire at the end of this season, which isn’t a reality the Owls will want to face once again. Given that the Scotsman is in the twilight of his career, the club could be creative in the terms they offer him next.

Bannan still has the ability to perform at the Championship level, so he should comfortably be able to operate in League One next term. However, playing so much football this season could take a huge toll on his physical state.

Therefore, Wednesday could offer the 36-year-old a deal that allows him to join the club’s coaching staff whenever he believes it is the right time for him to do so.

This would ensure that he remains at Hillsborough, which has to be one of the Owls’ new owners' first priorities.

Barry Bannan would pledge his allegiance to Sheffield Wednesday

If Sheffield Wednesday’s new owners made Bannan an offer to remain at Hillsborough after this season, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest he would accept.

The 36-year-old has been with the Steel City side for 10 years now, which is a huge amount of time to spend with one single club.

His decision to remain with the Owls during the summer when players weren’t getting paid consistently showed how committed Bannan is to the cause.