How much Middlesbrough FC and Millwall offered Sheffield Wednesday’s Barry Bannan in wages.

Barry Bannan turned down offers from major Championship clubs like Middlesbrough and Millwall worth three times his current wage to stay with Sheffield Wednesday this summer.

The 35-year-old is a Hillsborough legend, and despite his contract expiring in June, there was practically no question he would stay a Wednesday player, even though the club’s future was uncertain at the moment.

Bannan returned to pre-season training this summer, despite not being under contract at the time, and signed a new contract with the club little over a week before the 2025/26 season began.

 

This was despite a slew of his teammates leaving the club that summer owing to several late wage payments, seeking greener pastures away from Hillsborough, and, according to The Times, Bannan was also offered a lucrative deal elsewhere, including Middlesbrough and Millwall.

However, the Wednesday legend turned them down, reinforcing his dedication to the club.

How much Barry Bannan turned down per week from Middlesbrough and Millwall to stay at Sheffield Wednesday

With Bannan out of contract for a month over the summer, it’s no wonder that Championship clubs wanted to sign the 35-year-old.

 

Over the previous decade, the Scotsman has been one of the best midfielders in the EFL, leading Wednesday to repeated Championship play-off campaigns as well as a couple League One victories.

His talent in the middle of the field is not going unnoticed, and according to the Times, Middlesbrough and Millwall, who are presently second and sixth in the Championship, were willing to pay top dollar to sign him.

Bannan stated that he had “big offers” from “stable clubs,” which are roughly three times his current income of around £7,000 per week, implying that his bids would have been in the £21,000-week range.

Spending that much per week on a veteran player might raise some eyebrows if it were any other player, but Bannan is still as effective as he was a decade ago when he walked through the door at Hillsborough, with three goals and two assists in 15 Championship appearances this season, and would have been useful in a promotion-chasing side.

But Bannan’s sympathies run deeper, and he was willing to stay at an uncertain Sheffield Wednesday club set for relegation for significantly less money each week.

Middlesbrough and Millwall rejection will only serve to delight Sheffield Wednesday

Barry Bannan is perhaps the biggest cult hero at Sheffield Wednesday, and recent rumours will only add to that sentiment.

The Owls captain has persevered with Wednesday through the club’s highs and lows over the last decade, from Championship play-off finals to years in League One and, most recently, near-liquidation.

Bannan’s new contract announcement came only days after the club’s pay were delayed for the fourth time in five months.

The players refused to play their final pre-season friendly against Burnley, and there were questions about their commitment to the Championship opener against Leicester City.

Nobody would have expected the captain to leave with the rest of the Wednesday squad after all he had done for the club, but Bannan stayed, and his retention was a rare bright spot in what was a dismal period for the Owls.

Wednesday may still play in League One next season, but they’ll go down fighting, with their loyal captain by their side.

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