Sheffield Wednesday have rejected a bid from Brentford for midfielder Barry Bannan, according to Sky Sports.

The 30-year-old, who joined the Owls from Crystal Palace in 2015, has entered the final year of his contract at Hillsborough and would therefore be available on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Bannan has been one of Wednesday's most influential players in recent seasons, and has played every minute of their opening four Championship games this term as they look to overturn their 10-point deduction.

The former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa midfielder recently became club captain, taking the armband off  Tom Lees and Wednesday are unsurprisingly not interested in selling their best players given they're already eight points from safety.

Bannan's future with the Owls could go a long way to deciding whether they maintain their Championship status, so it's no wonder they've knocked back Brentford's offer.

 

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The Verdict

Having been with the club for more than five seasons, Brentford's interest puts Bannan in an extremely difficult decision.

At 31, the Scottish international isn't going to get many more opportunities to play in the topflight and signing for Brentford would certainly enhance his chances.

But Bannan has recently been handed the captains armband at Hillsborough, meaning he's unlikely to jump ship, especially during a campaign when Wednesday have been hit with a points deduction and are going to be fighting relegation for the most of it.