Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has spoken with club captain Barry Bannan about his future, following interest from Championship rivals Millwall.

Bannan has been at Sheffield Wednesday for over 11 years, having joined on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015. However, the club’s present situation means that many players are leaving in the current window.

Harry Amass, a loanee from Manchester United, has joined Norwich City, while Yisa Alao has transferred to Chelsea. Bannan is one of the division’s most experienced players, although he might join that duo via the exit door.

Only six Championship players have spent more time with a single club than Bannan does with Wednesday: Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Jay Fulton (Swansea City), Jack Stephens (Southampton), Sam Long (Oxford United), and Craig Forsyth (Derby County).

The other is teammate Liam Palmer, who embraced Bannan during emotional full-time moments against Bristol City. Motherwell and Hibernian are interested in the Scotsman, but he has also attracted interest from Millwall, Stoke City, and Preston North End.

Henrik Pedersen analyzes Barry Bannan’s predicament at Sheffield Wednesday.

Bannan was obviously moved against Birmingham City as his leaving approached, despite having previously professed his wish to stay at Wednesday for the rest of his career. He even accepted a new deal at Hillsborough in the summer at a much lower salary of roughly £7,000 per week.

However, Millwall are apparently set to offer the 36-year-old an 18-month deal and a big wage raise, making the move to The Den a no-brainer for the Scot at this stage of his career, with only a few years left to play.

Millwall emerged as front-runners to sign Bannan last week, however it was reported on Saturday that the Lions had yet to make an official bid for Bannan, and Sheffield Wednesday had not yet granted permission for negotiations.

Despite this, Bannan’s move to The Den is becoming closer, with BBC Radio Sheffield writer Rob Staton stating that the Lions made an official bid for the midfielder on Saturday evening, with the deal expected to be finalized this week.

Henrik Pedersen discussed the topic on Radio 5 Live, as reported by George Smith on X, who said the following: “It is dreadful. It’s very difficult for all of the fans, players, and friends, as well as the staff and coaches.”

He went on to say, “But I think it’s the most difficult for Barry because we all know how much he loves our football club and how huge a heart he has for it. But the whole situation, the circumstances, are uncertain in the future. “It has been difficult for him.”

Sheffield Wednesday will not receive any fee for Barry Bannan.

The Owls are unlikely to earn a fee for their talismanic midfielder, as a verbal agreement is understood to be in place to allow Bannan to go for Millwall on a free transfer.

It’s a shame that a fantastic career at Hillsborough has come to an end like this. Bannan is the type of player fans want to represent their team, considering his longevity and dedication, as well as his absolute brilliance and consistency over the last ten years.

He will also leave a large hole in the dressing room, which is difficult to accept given how young the majority of the group is. There are only 13 other players over the age of 22 on the current Sheffield Wednesday roster.