Double Sheffield Wednesday transfer hands Barry Bannan big boost | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday signing Billy Mitchell to partner Callum Slattery can only be a major boost for Barry Bannan.

Sheffield Wednesday are heading down to League One but there is a renewed sense of optimism around Hillsborough as they seek to bounce back at the first opportunity.

Last summer saw Sheffield Wednesday in crisis with players leaving their contracts, such as Josh Windass and Michael Smith, before being placed into administration by owner and chairman Dejphon Chansiri.

That was celebrated by Wednesday supporters and the wider football community because it meant that Chansiri would leave the club but they remained in the mire, both on and off the pitch.

The takeover of the club by a consortium led by David Storch has since been completed, though, and Wednesday supporters rejoiced when it was confirmed that no further points deductions would be inflicted upon the club by the EFL ahead of their return to League One.

Having got themselves to zero points with another morale boosting defeat of West Bromwich Albion on the final day of last season, The Owls can now work off a clean slate ahead of this season.

It has already been a busy and exciting summer in the market for Wednesday – and news of Billy Mitchell set to join the club will only further continue that, while also being a big boost for experienced midfielder Barry Bannan.

Billy Mitchell will aid Barry Bannan’s role at Sheffield Wednesday

So far this summer, Sheffield Wednesday have reinforced defensively with the signings of goalkeeper Joe Lumley, former Bolton Wanderers captain Ricardo Santos, Dutch centre-back Sil Swinkels and full-back Jordi Liongola, who has joined from La Louviere.

As well as that, they have added Callum Slattery on a free transfer from Motherwell and former Stockport County talisman Louie Barry for an undisclosed fee from Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most notable piece of business has been the return of former captain Barry Bannan. Bannan, who managed well over 450 appearances for Wednesday between the summer of 2015 and January 2026, left the club for eventual play-off semi-finalists Millwall in the winter.

After a tough time of it at The Den, the 36-year-old midfielder has returned to Sheffield Wednesday and is expected to again play a key role in their rebuild.

Bannan will be massively helped by the signing of Slattery, as well as the news that Wednesday are close to signing Billy Mitchell, following his departure from Millwall.

Regardless of the system that Henrik Pedersen opts to primarily use next season, the combative pairing of Slattery and Mitchell in the engine room will afford Bannan the ability to push further forward and affect games in the final third.

The diminutive 5 ft 7 in midfielder, with his wand of a left foot, returns as a cult hero at Hillsborough for both his work ethic and industry, as well as his ability as a technician in the middle of the park.

However, while that ethic and industry will likely remain a key attribute, the additions of Slattery and Mitchell will also lessen the importance for him to do the so-called ‘dirty work’ and free up the former Aston Villa man to play with more abandon in the final third.

As well as that, the impressive depth that is now being accumulated by Pedersen and Wednesday, particularly in midfield, means that the ageing maverick will not necessarily be required to play every minute of a gruelling 46-game third-tier campaign.

Barry Bannan can still make a big impact for Sheffield Wednesday in League One

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Even at the age of 36, Barry Bannan will still be expected to affect games for Sheffield Wednesday in League One in this coming season.

His performance level rarely ever dropped throughout his ten and a half years in his first stint at Hillsborough and that level of consistency and leadership will be valued back in South Yorkshire.

It was only six months ago that Bannan was deemed as potentially the missing piece for a promotion-chasing Millwall side hunting down a spot in the Premier League.

So for Wednesday to have now picked him back up ahead of a season in the third division of English football has to be viewed as a major coup.

The former Scotland international, who earned 27 caps for the Tartan Army between 2010 and 2017, will return to Hillsborough with the goal of dragging them back up to where they believe they belong – and he will remain a star attraction for his ability on the ball, which is set to remain a level above League One.

His ability to dictate games and the tempo will only be aided by the platform laid form him by Slattery and Mitchell – and the latter’s impending arrival can only be viewed as a major boost for both himself and Wednesday as a whole.