This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more

Barry Bannan has agreed to sign a new deal at Sheffield Wednesday, according to Yorkshire Live.

The 31-year-old has started every single league game this season, establishing himself as a key player as Wednesday continue to fight for safety.

The midfielder has been a great servant for the club since joining from Crystal Palace in 2015, racking up over 240 appearances for the Owls.

With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, Bannan has reportedly agreed in principle a new deal at Hillsborough.

Here, we discuss how big of a boost this is...

Chris Gallagher

This is a major boost for the club.

The news that Liam Shaw is set to join Celtic is a huge blow for the Owls, and it's evident that a major clearout is going to be needed in the summer, no matter what league Wednesday are in.

However, Bannan should have a key role to play regardless. The Scotsman has been at Hillsborough for the highs and lows, and he has generally been a very good player. Technically, he is still excellent, and he could still be a quality Championship player for a few years yet.

The challenge is to build a better team around the playmaker, which would allow him to flourish. The player also deserves credit, as he is showing loyalty to Wednesday, and it shows how much he wants to be at the club.

So, this is welcome news for Wednesday on the pitch, and it's just what the fans needed after last night.

Jacob Potter

This is a huge boost for Sheffield Wednesday.

Bannan has been a key player for the Owls for a number of years now, and there will have been real concern that he could have left the club when his contract expired in the summer.

The Sheffield Wednesday supporters won't have been wanting Bannan's future to be reliant on whether they stay up in the Championship this season, so it's good to see the club looking to get an agreement in place in the near future.

He's a real leader on the pitch, and has shown glimpses of his creative ability at times this season, and will be key to their survival chances.

This has come at the ideal time, and is excellent news for the Owls.

Jake Sanders

Especially following their defeat on Tuesday, this is a much-needed boost for the Owls.

Not only is Bannan arguably their best and most important player, the Scot is their captain and the leader of their pack.

Despite that loss against Stoke, Wednesday are on track to pull off the great escape, and Bannan sorting out his contract situation is only going to help bring the best out of the midfielder on the pitch, knowing he's staying at the club.

Now it's down to Bannan himself to ensure that he does everything to ensure that Wednesday aren't playing in League One next season.