Wrexham looks at a movement for a midfielder who was once compared to Iniesta and Xavi, because his contract is approaching his end and his current club is in financial unrest
Wrexham has been associated with a movement for a midfielder that was once compared to Legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi from Barcelona. Barry Bannan is an important player for Sheffield Wednesday and has released 447 since he came to the club in 2015.
However, the owls are currently experiencing problems with the field with different team members still pays their wages for May. The uncertainty that the club has seen placed under a transfer bargo has fueled that stars such as Bannan can be tempted to leave.
The current contract of the 35-year-old in Hillsborough will end at the end of this month and Wrexham now monitors the situation of the club captain, according to the Irish Sun. Although a report in the Yorkshire Post indicates that Bannan should like to stay in place, it is said that the Red Dragons are willing to pay him a “top salary”.
Wrexham, co-ownership of Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney, want to improve their team this season after securing promotion to the championship in April. The conquest of Bannan of one of their second row rivals would represent an important coup after he received a lot of praise in the early stages of his career from the former Liverpool -Baas Gerard Houllier.
At the time, the Frenchman managed Aston Villa, where the playmaker came through the club's academy after he initially started his journey with Celtic. Houllier, who died in December 2020 at the age of 73, only spent nine months in Villa after taking over in 2010.
But he was known to a big fan of Bannan, who became more involved with the first team under his stewardship. According to Birmingham Live, Houllier supported him to become a large Premier League star after rejecting concern about his light 5ft 7 in shape.
“The Premier League has become more physical, but it is not about a matter of size,” said Houllier. “Of course you need a size in some positions, but it is also a matter of dedication and physical dedication. Barry is competitive. It's a matter of going into it. He has.
Asked if he felt that Bannan could cut it into the top flight, Houllier said: “Yes, sure. I had players at other clubs that were the same and had a great career. The highest level is about skill, intelligence and desire.
“He is an intelligent player, he can read the game well and adapt well. I don't think Xavi and Iniesta, who are excellent players, are of large format. They are intelligent, they have the skill, they have the wish – Young Barry has all that.”
Bannan made a total of 82 performances for Villa between 2008 and 2013, before moving to Crystal Palace. He spent two years at Palace, but regularly found performances difficult to come by, later on Wednesday in August 2015.
He is a popular figure in Hillsborough and has also earned 27 caps for the Scotland -National team during his career. Bannan is one of the many players who has shown Wrexham that they have shown interest after obtaining promotion from League One, including people like Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and Fulham captain Tom Cairney.
Manager Phil Parkinson is working on strengthening his team in the summer transfer window, but insists that he is not in a hurry to make new additions.
“We are getting closer to one or two things, but it's the time of the short season,” he told the leader's leader. “[During] These weeks in June there are many players on vacation and many managers are gone.
“It is clear at the beginning of June very early in the transfer window, but there is a lot of work underway as always behind the scenes to try to build a competitive team.”