Barry Bannan, a Sheffield Wednesday legend, departed Hillsborough Stadium to join Millwall during the winter transfer window, while the South Yorkshire club was in administration.

Dejphon Chansiri, the Owls’ former owner, forced them into administration and imposed an 18-point deduction, hastening their relegation to League One.

Last summer, Chansiri’s activities resulted in the exits of numerous high-profile players, including Josh Windass, Djeidi Gassama, and Anthony Musaba, as well as former manager Danny Rohl.

However, Wednesday’s future seems brighter after David Storch’s Arise consortium completed the takeover.

The Owls celebrated Storch’s takeover in style by defeating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on the final day of the season in front of a sell-out crowd at Hillsborough Stadium.

Sheffield Wednesday find out why Barry Bannan quit.

Bannan established himself as a modern-day Wednesday legend, having spent a decade and a half in S6 after joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015.

The midfielder was an important player for the Owls when they made the Championship play-offs at the end of the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

He then remained with the South Yorkshire club after their relegation to League One in 2021, helping them earn promotion back to the second division two years later.

Before joining Millwall, the former Scotland international made 477 Hillsborough appearances and scored 38 goals.

According to the Wednesday Word, the Owls have held internal discussions regarding re-signing Bannan prior to next season.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT reporter and Sheffield Star writer Alan Biggs said on X that the 36-year-old quit the Owls because he had little faith in their then-preferred bidders, and that he would have stayed if Arise had been in the situation.

Before Arise finalized its purchase, James Bord was Wednesday’s favored bidder, but his deal failed.

So far, the collapse of Bord’s bid has proven to be a blessing in disguise, since Storch’s group has already brought supporters together at Hillsborough Stadium, giving them hope for the future after years of destruction caused by Chansiri.

Barry Bannan’s return to Sheffield Wednesday looks more likely than ever.

Bannan would never have left Hillsborough if the Owls had not run into financial difficulties, thus he is expected to return to South Yorkshire now that the club has regained financial stability under Storch’s ownership.

Storch has a lot of work to do to make Wednesday a competitive outfit in the League. One more term, despite the budget constraints imposed by the EFL due to their tenure in administration.

Bringing Bannan back to S6 would go a long way toward securing their third-tier success next season.

During his final season in League One in 2022/23, the midfielder scored seven goals and assisted 13 times.

Furthermore, Millwall’s journey has come to an end after being eliminated from the Championship play-offs by Hull City.

The end of the Lions’ season allows Wednesday more time to plan their move to re-sign Bannan, who will no longer have the option to play in the Premier League next season.