Why Barry Bannan should make major Sheffield Wednesday u-turn - Millwall & Stoke City want to sign him | OneFootball

Barry Bannan has been a loyal servant to Sheffield Wednesday, but he should consider leaving Hillsborough amid interest from Millwall and Stoke City.

It has been a nightmare season for Sheffield Wednesday, and it could be set to get even worse for the troubled Championship club in the final weeks of the January transfer window.

After their squad was decimated during their summer of chaos under former owner Dejphon Chansiri, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Wednesday to stay in the Championship this season, but that task was made impossible after they were deducted 12 points for going into administration in October, as well as being handed a further six-point deduction for multiple late wage payments in December.

The Owls' winless run extended to 21 games, which is a new club record, as they were beaten 2-0 by Birmingham City at Hillsborough on Tuesday night, and they remain bottom of the table on minus seven points.

If results on the pitch were not bleak enough for the long-suffering Wednesday fanbase, it is believed the club's administrators are looking to sell players before the end of the window in order to raise funds, and Pierce Charles, Max Lowe, Yisa Alao, Charlie McNeill and Bailey Cadamarteri are among those who have been linked with a move away this month.

However, while the Owls would be frustrated to lose any of those players, their biggest concern in the final stages of the window will be the possible departure of long-serving captain Barry Bannan.

Millwall set to launch move for Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan as Stoke City and Preston North End circle

Bannan joined Wednesday on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015, and it is fair to say he has achieved club legend status at Hillsborough over the past decade.

The 36-year-old has scored 37 goals and provided 75 assists in 476 appearances for the Owls so far, but as speculation continues to gather pace about his future, it seems his time at the club may be set to come to an end.

It was first revealed last week that Bannan could depart Wednesday this month amid interest from Championship trio Millwall, Stoke City and Preston North End, while Motherwell and another unnamed Scottish Premiership side are also believed to be keen.

It seems Millwall may now be stepping up their interest in Bannan, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting on Monday that the Lions have made an approach for the Scot, and they may be willing to offer him an 18-month contract if he makes the move to The Den.

After Bannan was substituted in the closing stages of the defeat to Birmingham on Tuesday night, he applauded all four sides of Hillsborough, with many interpreting it as an emotional farewell, and manager Henrik Pedersen did little to shut down the rumours of his potential exit post-match.

"Barry had some little problems. I took him out and I hope Barry will stay, of course I hope. We speak every day and of course we speak about his situation, our situation. Let’s see what happens. I hope he will stay here," Pedersen told The Star.

Barry Bannan must make difficult Sheffield Wednesday call amid Millwall, Stoke City interest

There is no doubt that Bannan has been an incredibly loyal servant to Wednesday over the years, sticking with the club in circumstances when many other players would have left.

Bannan has had plenty of opportunities to depart Hillsborough, most notably when Brentford made an offer for him in the summer of 2020, but despite the Bees competing for promotion to the Premier League and the Owls facing relegation to League One, he turned down a move to the Gtech Community Stadium.

The midfielder remained with Wednesday for two seasons in the third tier and achieved his goal of leading them back to the Championship, but perhaps his biggest show of commitment came in the summer when he signed a new contract while the club was falling apart under Chansiri, and he is believed to have accepted significantly reduced wages of around £7,00-a-week.

Bannan has previously stated his desire to remain with the Owls for the rest of his career, but amid growing interest from elsewhere, it seems that his exit may be a genuine possibility before the end of the window, and he should make the difficult decision to call time on his spell in S6.

With Millwall, Stoke and Preston all currently competing for a play-off place, a move to any of the trio would give Bannan one final shot at achieving success in the Championship, as well as providing him with a proper platform to showcase his talent and force his way into Scotland's World Cup squad, which he is said to still have hopes of making.

That may be a relatively short-term view, but Bannan may also have concerns about what his long-term future would look like at Hillsborough with Wednesday still in administration and the EFL yet to approve the proposed takeover by James Bord's consortium.

Even if Bord is given the green light to complete a deal, his disastrous spell as a recruitment advisor to Sheffield United raises serious question marks over whether he is the right owner to take the Owls forward, and Bannan will not want to spend the last few years of his career languishing in League One.

Bannan has established a strong connection with Wednesday during his long spell at the club, so it would be a tough decision for him to walk away, but with more attractive options on the table, it may be time for him to start a new chapter.