Middlesbrough and Millwall eyeing swoop for Sheffield Wednesday star amid Dejphon Chansiri crisis | OneFootball

The 35-year-old has been out of contract at Hillsborough since the end of June.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan is attracting interest from Middlesbrough and Millwall just over a week before the start of the Championship season.

Middlesbrough and Millwall are considering swoops for the Scot, as per The Star, amid the chaos going on at Sheffield Wednesday at present.

Bannan is understood to be desperate to stay at Hillsborough for the 2025/26 campaign, but with it having been reported that players might refuse to play because their wages for July are unlikely to be paid on time, he could be forced into making a difficult decision.

The 35-year-old has continued to train with Sheffield Wednesday despite the fact his contract expired at the end of June, and he is said to want to continue as club captain next season despite the issues surrounding the club at the moment.

However, with it seeming increasingly likely that Bannan will not be offered a contract before the Owls' opening day clash against Leicester City on August 10th, Middlesbrough and Millwall are ready to take advantage of the situation by bringing in the experienced Championship midfielder on a free transfer.

Bannan news is another blow for Sheffield Wednesday

Championship rivals considering a move for Bannan is just another blow for Sheffield Wednesday, during what has been a nightmare summer for the club.

The Owls' squad are at risk of not being paid for July, which would be the fourth time in five months that players have not received their wages on their expected payday.

That has resulted in players considering not attending training and refusing to play scheduled matches, which is not an ideal scenario to be in with the 2025/26 campaign fast approaching.

Sheffield Wednesday were also placed under transfer restrictions earlier this summer, meaning they cannot spend a fee to sign players permanently or on loan until January 2027.

Manager Danny Rohl finally left the club officially earlier this week, alongside key members of his backroom staff, with Henrik Pedersen having been appointed as his replacement today.

To make matters worse, the North Stand at Hillsborough was closed by Sheffield council this week due to concerns around its structural integrity.

Wednesdayites will feel as though they have not been able to catch a break since the end of last season, and, unfortunately, there does not currently seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel, with owner Dejphon Chansiri insisting that he wants £100 million to sell the club, despite the state he has put it in.

The supporters would have been holding onto hope that long-serving midfielder Bannan could stay and at least keep some sense of continuity at Hillsborough, but that is now in serious jeopardy.

Bannan could be the next Sheffield Wednesday player to leave

If Bannan does join either Middlesbrough or Millwall, he will be just the latest player to leave Sheffield Wednesday this summer.

Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba were sold to Rangers and Samsunspor respectively earlier in the transfer window, while several players have jumped ship on free transfers, including Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Callum Paterson and Akin Famewo.

It is a sad state of affairs in South Yorkshire currently, and following the difficulties they have been through in recent months, Bannan leaving after 10 years at the club would be a tough one to take for the supporters.