Sheffield Wednesday: David Storch told to take Barry Bannan action ASAP after Millwall heartbreak | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club should look to bring Barry Bannan back to the club this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday are starting preparations for life back in League One after David Storch completed his takeover of the club.

It was a nightmare season for Wednesday, who spent over six months in administration after former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit and suffered the earliest relegation in English football history, but their long-suffering fanbase will be hoping better days are ahead under Storch.

The Owls will not face a 15-point deduction in League One next season, and there was further positive news for the South Yorkshire outfit last week after it was revealed that they will not be subject to a £7,000 weekly wage cap or a £7 million seasonal spend.

That will be a huge boost to Wednesday's transfer plans, and it seems that work is already underway on identifying potential transfer targets, with The Wednesday Word reporting last month that internal talks have taken place about a potential move to re-sign former captain Barry Bannan.

Bannan scored 37 goals and provided 75 assists in 477 games for the Owls during a 10-and-a-half year spell at Hillsborough before departing for Millwall in January, and he has provided one assist in 16 games for the Lions so far, but only six of those appearances have come from the start.

Less than six months after arriving at The Den, it seems Bannan may already be open to a possible exit, with his former Wednesday team-mate Keiren Westwood claiming over the weekend that he believes the Scot would "have an eye" on returning to S6.

Sheffield Wednesday told to secure Barry Bannan reunion after Keiren Westwood hint

When asked for his reaction to Westwood's comments, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna admitted that he would love to see the 36-year-old back at Hillsborough next season, even if he may not be a regular starter for the Owls in League One.

"Personally, I would love to see Barry Bannan back at Sheffield Wednesday next season," Patrick told FLW.

"He would be a fantastic asset for any side in League One.

"If he was to come back, it wouldn't be a case of building the team around Bannan, where he is starting every game and we're trying to play everything through him.

"Instead, we have him there as an option to start some games and come on as a substitute when needed, just to add that extra bit of class and experience that nobody else could.

"The guy clearly has a real genuine love for the club, which means he might possibly be keen to come back.

"I don't think it would be wise to say that the ship has sailed with Bannan.

"Of course, with any player, regarding budgets and wages, you need to make sure that something can be agreed within that, but I don't think there will be much of an issue.

"Having Bannan back next season would be fantastic, even if he wouldn't be a long-term signing and a player to build the team around.

"Could you imagine having Bannan as an option on the bench as opposed to the meagre offerings we had to turn to this season?"

Millwall play-off heartbreak could impact Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan hopes

Prior to his January exit, Bannan had often stated his desire to remain at Wednesday for the rest of his career, so with the club now under new ownership after Storch's takeover, he may relish the chance to return to Hillsborough as an exciting new era begins.

While Bannan has regularly had an impact after coming off the bench for Millwall, he has been unable to force his way into the Lions' starting line-up, and his limited game time at The Den could make him even more open to a reunion with the Owls.

If Millwall had reached the Premier League, it seemed certain that Bannan would be deemed surplus to requirements, but after their play-off semi-final defeat to Hull City, manager Alex Neil may be keen to keep the Scot as part of his squad for another promotion push in the Championship next season, which would create a potential stumbling block for Wednesday.

On the flip side though, a mutual agreement could be beneficial where Millwall get Bannan off the wage bill if they can get younger options in the middle of the park, and Bannan returns 'home', where he always looks his happiest and most comfortable.