Henrik Pedersen unable to offer reassurance on Barry Bannan's Sheffield Wednesday future amid interest
Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen was unable to offer reassurance that club captain Barry Bannan will remain at the club beyond the January transfer window after news of interest from a host of clubs became clear this week.
The Star were among those to report that clubs in England and Scotland were keen on taking the talismanic midfielder before the window is out, with serious interest coming from the likes of Millwall, Preston North End, Stoke City and Motherwell - among others. It has since become clear that at least one of those clubs has made a formal approach to Wednesday.
The Scotland international has been at the forefront of the Owls’ push both on and off the field in tiresome circumstances. He signed a new deal to remain at Hillsborough for the remainder of the season back in August, a move that encouraged other players to stay on at S6 when regulations would have allowed them to follow-through on a contract termination.
Speaking after a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth that equalled the longest-ever winless run for any club in Championship history, the Owls boss outlined his desire for Bannan to continue at S6 - but was unable to offer any real reassurance in what is a difficult situation for all involved both personally and professionally.
Asked whether he had confidence his captain would be a Wednesday player when the window closes, Pedersen told The Star: “I don’t know what happens in the future. I can just say that Barry means a lot for me and he means a lot for everyone. I hope he will stay of course.
“Barry has been amazing for us and I can just say I hope he will stay. But I will always have the biggest respect for Barry, it doesn’t matter what he is doing. Of course I hope he will stay.”
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Pedersen confirmed that Wednesday are not currently able to offer the 36-year-old any improvement on the terms of his current contract, which took a nosedive in his previous wages due to restrictions placed on the club in the final months of Dejphon Chansiri’s time as club chairman.
Bannan is one of a number of Wednesday players of interest to other clubs as things stand. Should any firm offer arrive, the ultimate decision will land with the administrators as custodians of the club, though the Dane suggested he had had a discussion over one transfer offer - for an unnamed player - since the window opened.