Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to find a successor for long-serving player Barry Bannan, who is closing in on an emotional move to Championship rivals Millwall, marking yet another low moment in a season blighted by on- and off-field disasters for the Steel City club.

The iconic Owls midfielder is expected to terminate his 10-and-a-half-year relationship with Wednesday in the coming days, with a tearful farewell at Bristol City on Saturday all but confirming the 36-year-old’s exit, with Millwall appearing to be the club to take him on.

Wednesday were given two loan berths in the current January window to assist boost an already thin squad that had been decimated by injuries during the season. They used those to bring in goalkeeper Murphy Cooper and midfielder Jaden Heskey, but they will be looking for another signing through the door as Bannan prepares to leave.

Sheffield Wednesday awaits EFL approval to replace Barry Bannan.

Sheffield Wednesday are awaiting a judgment from the EFL on whether they may replace Bannan with a free agent or loan player between now and the end of the January transfer window.

However, with Harry Amass joining Norwich City on loan for the remainder of the season after a great, productive first half of the season at Hillsborough, the Owls are expected to be able to bring in a replacement, according to The Sheffield Star.

According to the same article, Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen is hopeful that the same will apply to replacing Bannan if and when the 36-year-old leaves.

Bannan appears to have made his 477th and final game for Sheffield Wednesday, with a move to Millwall on the cards.

While the announcement of the 36-year-old’s 10-and-a-half-year tenure will be a sad day at Hillsborough, Wednesday cannot afford to lick their wounds too much, as finding a successor for the powerful skipper is critical to an already weakened squad.

The ability to replace him is currently uncertain, as Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen stated in a Sheffield Star story that the EFL must approve permission for someone to come in first.

The Owls’ manager hopes to follow the precedent set by allowing them to bring in a replacement for Amass, who has not returned for the remainder of the season.”We still have one option, one position, instead of Harry,” he stated following the Bristol City loss.This is the initial step in our efforts to find a solution. We will discuss our next steps with the EFL.”Now, with Barry, I’m confident we can accomplish something. We have to wait for an answer on whether we can get a loan or a free transfer player.”

With the winter window closing on February 2nd, Hillsborough officials will be hoping for a response sooner rather than later, so they can plan for Bannan’s replacement more effectively.

Sheffield Wednesday will be praying for a good EFL verdict after an already decimated roster is gutted further.

Sheffield Wednesday’s current situation on the field appears to be bleaker than ever.

Seeing Amass in a different kit after such a great start to the season at Hillsborough was a gut hit; their probable relegation to League One appears to be confirmed in the coming weeks, and to make matters worse, their leader, who Wednesday fans never expected to leave, appears to be leaving.

The Owls have lost all of their games in 2026 without scoring a goal. They clearly need all the aid they can get, and they’ll be hoping that the EFL will be merciful and let them replace Bannan before the window shuts.

That being said, there’s no doubt that whoever steps in to replace the 36-year-old would be unable to recreate how much the Wednesday icon means to the fans at Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday has had a dismal season, and those who thought things couldn’t get any worse as the year progressed were proven wrong during the January transfer window.

Owls fans are desperate for some good news, and while there will be some animosity at Bannan’s leaving, the potential to bring in a replacement will give those at Hillsborough something to cheer about.