Sheffield Wednesday fans have been through a lot this season, with the club languishing at the bottom of the Championship and in administration since October’s end. However, the most devastating blow may still be on the way.

Rumours have circulated for the past few days that club captain Barry Bannan may be departing the club by the conclusion of the January transfer window, with Millwall regarded the favourites to recruit him. Bannan has been with Wednesday for a decade, and he symbolizes more than just a player to the club’s supporters.

However, with relegation now almost certain, the temptation to continue playing at the greatest level possible will be strong. Millwall are in the Championship play-offs, competing for a spot in the Premier League.

The midfielder had a rousing reception when he was substituted in their recent home match against Birmingham City at Hillsborough, leading to speculation that he may have been sent off.Do I blame him for moving on? “Certainly not.” – Bannan paid tribute as Millwall whispers circulate

We spoke with FLW’s resident Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna about the speculation surrounding Bannan’s future, and Patrick believes there is a lot of confusion about the player’s future right now: “To sum it up at the moment, there’s a lot of confusion and guessing going on about his situation.” That certainly appears to be spreading to Barry and Henrik Pedersen. It is clear that interest exists. Clubs are clearly seeing an opportunity to swoop in and sign him.”

And he believes that the talk is leading Wednesday fans to draw conclusions that have yet to be reached: “I have no doubt that Barry Bannan is examining his options and considering a transfer away. But, at the same time, there’s a chance he’ll stay, so we’re not sure. Fans have a tendency to overanalyze circumstances and extract meaning from them that does not exist. I believe the Bannan crisis will continue, and at this point it is impossible to anticipate what will happen next.

Patrick praised his contributions to the club, saying, “Who could blame him for leaving? Absolutely not. He has been a true club legend since his days in the Premier League, and he has contributed much to the club. In addition to being an incredibly excellent player for us, he has persevered through some difficult times and been a shining beacon, even taking a pay cut to stay with us.”

And our Wednesday fan pundit fully gets why a transfer away from Hillsborough would be so attractive for the player: “But at the end of the day, he is 36. Does he want his final days to be a sad relegation this season and a battle in League? One next season, or does he want one last chance to play in the Championship? Millwall is pushing for promotion.”

But eventually, Patrick decides that while Bannan leaving Sheffield Wednesday would be a sad day for Sheffield Wednesday fans, he has earned the right to continue in the Championship, though nothing has been decided yet: “If he wants to go, then go, Barry.” You owe us nothing, and you deserve a shot at a club like Millwall, but it would be terrible to see him leave. But I completely understand if he did go; nonetheless, there is a lot of speculation and confusion at this point, so let’s see what happens.”

Barry Bannan has been a wonderful servant to Sheffield Wednesday, but his departure now would be understandable.

Barry Bannan has become much more than just another footballer to Sheffield Wednesday fans over the past decade. He joined the Owls from Aston Villa in August 2015 and has made nearly 500 appearances for the club, captaining them to promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs in 2023.

There was some stress last summer when the full extent of Wednesday’s financial troubles became apparent, and he had yet to sign a new deal for the 2025-26 season.

It was a tremendous relief for all Wednesday supporters when he signed a new contract for another year, and even at 36 years old, he has proven his worth to them this season, earning himself a nomination for the Championship’s Player of the Month award in September.

However, there are apparent grounds for a departure from the club. A takeover has yet to be completed, and the squad has entirely crumbled during the course of the season, with only one League win coming in September. This has been so severe that the club’s point deductions are almost irrelevant.

With access to the players they badly need severely restricted by the EFL, even without those deductions, they’d be dangerously adrift at the bottom of the standings with 11 points, 18 shy of safety.

At his age, Bannan would be well aware that his playing career will soon come to an end. And it’s understandable to wonder why he’d want to stay on this quickly sinking ship when there could be an opportunity to end it by assisting a team vying for a spot in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen whether Bannan is persuaded to leave the club before the transfer window opens, and while it would be a huge disappointment for Sheffield Wednesday fans if he did leave by the end of January, few could reasonably blame him, given the team’s fortunes in the first half of the 2025-26 season.