West Bromwich Albion are reportedly considering a shock move to sign Barry Bannan from Sheffield Wednesday but face competition from two other Championship clubs.
The Baggies are eager to improve their creative options ahead of next season following the departures of John Swift and Grady Diangana. New head coach Ryan Mason is also keen to add more leaders and characters to his squad and Bannan, Wednesday’s captain, is said to be on the shortlist.
TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher claims West Brom, Stoke City and Wrexham are all interested in signing Bannan this summer. Meanwhile, West Brom Xtra reported yesterday that Albion have already made contact with Bannan to establish his level of interest in a move to The Hawthorns.
Bannan swoop makes sense for West Brom
As his contract expires next week, Bannan will be available to sign as a free agent, so it’s no wonder there’s interest brewing. The 35-year-old is undoubtedly in the final moments of his career but he proved last season that he very much still has the talent required to succeed at this level.
Among midfielders in the Championship, Bannan was in the top 5% for progressive passes with 8.43 per match, making him an elite-level playmaker. He was also in the top 9% for shot-creating actions with 3.87 per game. His direct attacking output was fairly impressive, too, as he scored four goals and provided five assists in 41 league appearances.
Starts likely wouldn’t be as regular with West Brom as they have been with Wednesday, but that would make sense with the Baggies operating at a slightly higher level. Bannan’s experience and technical ability could really help Albion step up a gear, while his leadership would be invaluable in the dressing room.
Not all reports can be believed
Bannan to West Brom sounds great, then. Except there’s unfortunately a caveat in this case. Birmingham World understands Albion haven’t made contact with Bannan as the above reports may suggest. There may be some interest from afar – that can’t be totally ruled out – but there’s been no approach at this stage.
In the case of Wrexham and Stoke, that could be different. But West Brom certainly haven’t spoken to Bannan and are currently considering other options. The point that Albion are looking to add experience and leadership is correct, but the Bannan claims are unfortunately a little wide of the mark.
Onto a certainty, and that’s the fact Albion have now completed their first signing of the summer. Nat Phillips has joined from Liverpool and The Athletic reports the fee – inclusive of add-ons – is around £3 million. As it’s a move that eases major concerns over a lack of depth at centre-half and Phillips is experienced at this level, that could be a bargain.
Albion are now expected to move onto targets in midfield and attack, though more defenders are also desired. Signing a new goalkeeper is also one of the priorities this summer, though the order of new additions depends on how the market evolves.
