How much money Sheffield Wednesday would save on wages if Barry Bannan and Josh Windass leave | OneFootball

We looked at how much money Sheffield Wednesday would save in wages if Barry Bannan and Josh Windass leave the club.

It has been a nightmare summer so far for Sheffield Wednesday, but things could be set to get even worse for the troubled club amid talk of a potential player walkout.

After their play-off push collapsed in the second half of the campaign, Wednesday finished 12th in the Championship last season, and it has been an incredibly turbulent start to the summer at Hillsborough.

The Owls failed to pay the wages of players and staff on time in both May and June, with many still waiting to receive the money they are owed, and in addition to the club and owner Dejphon Chansiri being charged by the EFL, they have been placed under a transfer embargo and been hit with a three-window ban on paying transfer fees.

However, as their financial crisis deepens, Wednesday have also been sanctioned for late payments to HMRC and non-payments on transfer fees to other clubs, with Southampton and Norwich City still believed to be due money for the transfers of Shea Charles and Akin Famewo respectively, and a points deduction could be on the cards next season.

If that was not enough for the Owls, manager Danny Rohl is thought to be close to agreeing a severance package that would see his tenure at the club come to an end, and they could also be set to lose a number of first-team players.

Barry Bannan and Josh Windass could be among Sheffield Wednesday departures

As Wednesday have failed to pay wages on time for two consecutive months, players are now entitled to give notice of their intent to terminate their contracts, and according to The Telegraph, six members of the first-team squad have taken up that option.

It is unclear exactly who the six players are, but GIVEMESPORT claim that star forward Josh Windass is one of those who has informed the club of his desire to depart.

Windass finished last season as the Owls' top scorer with 13 goals, and the club activated their option to extend his contract for a further year this summer, but the 31-year-old, who was the subject of a bid from Brazilian side Santos in January, now looks set to move on.

However, it seems that midfielder Barry Bannan is not one of those who has handed in their notice, with The Star claiming that the Scot is still keen to remain at Hillsborough next season, despite not yet accepting the new deal that was offered to him back in May.

Bannan has scored 34 goals and provided 72 assists in 447 games during his near decade-long spell at Wednesday, and having previously stated that he is keen to stay with the club for the rest of his career, it appears his loyalty still remains strong as ever, even amid the current off-field turmoil.

With Bannan and Windass' futures currently uncertain, we looked at how much the Owls would save on wages if the pair were to leave the club.

How much Sheffield Wednesday would save on Barry Bannan and Josh Windass' wages

The issue of wages has dominated the headlines at Hillsborough for the past few months, and while Wednesday will be reluctant to lose Bannan or Windass, their departures would at least help to reduce the club's payroll.

According to Capology, Bannan is currently the Owls' highest-paid player, with the midfielder said to take home £24,038 per week and £1,250,000 per year, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

Bannan's wages have long been a subject of debate among Wednesday supporters, but the 35-year-old revealed in 2022 that he chose to stay at the club in League One amid interest from Championship and Premier League clubs, despite the fact that his salary halved following relegation.

Windass is estimated to receive £20,000 per week and £1,040,000 per year with the Owls, and that makes him the club's joint-second biggest earner, along with Yan Valery, Dominic Iorfa, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ike Ugbo.

Bannan and Windass' exits would reduce Wednesday's wage bill by almost £45,000 per week, but offloading the duo would likely only provide short-term financial relief as it becomes increasingly clear that Chansiri no longer has the funds needed to take the club forward.