Football
Exclusive: Championship Basement Club Sheffield Wednesday Will Do Everything to Keep Barry Bannan
Sheffield Wednesday are fighting to keep talisman Barry Bannan as rival clubs circle. Despite being at the foot of the Championship table, the Owls are determined to retain the midfielder's leadership and experience. Bannan's loyalty and influence make him invaluable, and the club is adamant he is not for sale, even as the January transfer window approaches.
West Bromwich Albion v Sheffield Wednesday - Sky Bet Championship by NurPhoto | Getty Images
Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday are set to go to war to keep Barry Bannon, despite a queue of promotion-chasing clubs lining up to prise their talismanic skipper away, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Our sources have discovered the Owls will do everything in their power to fend off interest in the midfield general, even with the club marooned at the foot of the Championship table and the January transfer window looming large.
Bannon, 36, has been a colossus at Hillsborough for the best part of a decade and remains the heartbeat of the side.
Now, with relegation fears deepening, Championship rivals Preston North End, Stoke City and Millwall are all keeping close tabs on his situation.
Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell have also emerged as potential suitors.
But Wednesday chiefs are digging their heels in.
Despite the mounting interest and Bannon’s advancing years, the club are desperate to keep him during the current transfer window, believing his leadership, experience and sheer will to win are indispensable.
The veteran midfielder has been through it all with the Owls, promotion highs, relegation lows, points deductions and boardroom chaos, but he has remained fiercely loyal throughout.
Since arriving in 2015, Bannon has racked up over 400 appearances and worn the captain’s armband with distinction, becoming one of the most influential players of the modern era.
In other news, prospective Sheffield Wednesday owner James Bord has provided short-term relief by lodging a non-refundable £2.5m deposit with administrators, but doubts persist over his ability to meet EFL regulations. With questions raised by his past involvement at Sheffield United and Dunfermline, the Owls remain at risk of relegation to League One despite hopes of reinforcements following Dejphon Chansiri’s troubled exit.
INFLUENCE
Even at his advancing years, his importance has not diminished. Bannon still pulls the strings in midfield, demands standards and sets the tone, particularly when pressure is at its highest.
Promotion hopefuls see an opportunity, while Wednesday see a fight.
Sources suggest the Owls will resist any January offers and are banking on Bannon’s deep-rooted connection with the club and supporters to keep him on board.
He has never hidden his affection for Hillsborough, nor his determination to help drag the club out of trouble.
While rivals circle and speculation grows, Wednesday’s message is simple: Barry Bannon is not for sale.
Whether that stance holds firm as the window ticks down, and if serious money is put on the table, remains to be seen.
However, the Owls are doing everything in their power to make sure their talisman stays in South Yorkshire.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.