Why West Brom and Stoke City want to sign Sheffield Wednesday star Barry Bannan - there are 3 obvious reasons | OneFootball

Football League World have outlined three reasons why West Brom and Stoke City want to sign Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan

Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion have joined the race to sign Sheffield Wednesday stalwart Barry Bannan this summer.

According to journalist Fraser Fletcher, the pair are preparing to capitalise on the Owls’ precarious situation to land a deal for the Scottish midfielder.

Wednesday offered Bannan the chance to extend his decade-long stay at Hillsborough but the three-window transfer ban that they have been handed could affect their ability to lockdown the 35-year-old.

Now with interest mounting for Bannan’s services, it seems more and more likely that he will exit the Steel City side this summer.

With Stoke and West Brom swirling, Football League World have outlined three clear reasons why the duo should be keen on securing his signature in the transfer window.

Proven Championship quality

In modern football, transfer fees have spiked but that hasn’t brought extra assurance over the quality of player a club receives.

Therefore, when an asset like Bannan appears on the market, it’s an opportunity a lot of teams should be desperate to take advantage of.

The midfielder has operated at a consistently high level for Wednesday over the past 10 years and produced his best Championship output since the 2019/20 campaign last season.

Age hasn’t affected the Scotsman’s ability whatsoever and therefore brings a quality assurance that few other players in the division enjoy.

Especially in Stoke’s case, Bannan would immediately raise the bar in midfield and inject some much-needed quality into the Potters’ squad.

Lack of a transfer fee

When clubs prepare for the transfer window, certain targets will be outlined and finances set aside to complete said deals.

However, market opportunities that were unforeseen can sometimes make for the best signings.

Acquiring Bannan for no transfer fee probably wasn’t on West Brom or Stoke City’s radar a few months ago but is now a possibility the pair must fight hard to make work in their favour.

A small sticking point could be the Scotsman’s wages, which are estimated by Capology to be £24,000 a week.

That said, not forking out a transfer fee makes these wages slightly easier to make work and a clear reason why the duo should be all over a deal for Bannan.

Vital dressing room experience

Along with his quality guarantee, Bannan also enjoys an almost unrivalled amount of EFL experience.

This won’t just pay dividends on the pitch, but also behind the scenes too.

With young players and new additions from abroad coming through the doors, having someone like Bannan in the dressing room would be a perfect way of helping them acclimatise to the Championship.

Having worked under numerous managers, in sides that have enjoyed varying levels of competitiveness, the 35-year-old could apply his different experiences to help raise the level of multiple players in the squad.

Therefore, Stoke and West Brom won’t just be looking at what Bannan can bring on the pitch, but also the impact he can have in the dressing room.