Exclusive: Stoke City urged to complete “no-brainer” swoop for Sheffield Wednesday star
Sky Sports Pundit Lee Hendrie believes Stoke City should pursue a deal for out-of-contract Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan.
Bannan has spent the past 10 years at Wednesday, after joining the club from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015. But with his contract set to expire at Hillsborough, his future is currently uncertain.
The midfielder was offered a new contract by the Owls last month, but amid ongoing financial problems at the club, with some players still waiting to receive their May wages, he is yet to sign an extension, and that seems to have alerted a number of other Championship sides.
Ambitious newly-promoted outfit Wrexham were said to be interested in Bannan earlier this month, and according to journalist Frazer Fletcher, Stoke and West Brom have now joined the race for the Scot’s signature.
Bannan has previously stated that he is hoping to remain with Wednesday for the rest of the career, and The Star claimed last week that the 35-year-old, who returned for the first day of pre-season training on Thursday despite his contractual situation, is still keen to commit his future to the club, but with growing interest in his services, he may soon have a big decision to make.
Lee Hendrie reacts as Stoke City plot Barry Bannan, Sheffield Wednesday raid
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie claimed that it would be an easy decision for Stoke to sign Bannan on a one-year contract, and he dismissed concerns about the Wednesday midfielder’s age, claiming that he is still a top performer at Championship level.
“Stoke are reported to be interested in Barry Bannan, who is out of contract at Sheffield Wednesday next week,” Hendrie said.
“Bannan has been consistently outstanding season after season. I know Barry really well, and he looks after himself.
“He’s been really influential in the time he’s been at Sheffield Wednesday. It’s not just all about his set plays and his delivery into the box, even at the age of 35, he’s such a clever footballer.
“You might question whether he’s got the legs, but he’s got the ability, there’s no doubt about that. On a one-year contract, I just think it would be a no-brainer.
“I think he would be a good signing for Stoke, I really do. He’s a front-footed midfielder, even though he can play in those little areas where he sits and controls games, but he can also drift into wide areas, where he can be effective.
“There’s no doubt that, on a year-long contract, it’s a no-brainer.”
Barry Bannan’s Sheffield Wednesday loyalty will be tested amid Stoke City interest
After almost a decade at Hillsborough, Bannan has made it clear that he wants to stay at Wednesday for the remainder of his career, but his continued loyalty to the club will be tested like never before this summer.
Owner Dejphon Chansiri is said to be looking for £5 million to help pay the bills and meet his financial obligations to the Owls, so there could be further dark days ahead for the South Yorkshire outfit if he is unable to secure fresh investment.
As he enters the latter stages of his career, Bannan may be keen to join a more stable club with a genuine chance of achieving success.
Despite being 35 years of age, Bannan scored four goals and provided six assists in 45 games last season to help Wednesday to a 12th-placed finish, and as Hendrie says, there is no doubt that he would be a quality addition for Stoke, as Mark Robins looks to guide his side up the Championship table.
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