"I hope he stays": Sheffield Wednesday teammate on Brentford-linked Barry Bannan
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That’s according to Owls defender Joost van Aken, who speaking ahead of the club’s ‘difficult’ test at Birmingham on Saturday made absolutely plain the Scot’s importance to the side.
Wednesday boss Garry Monk earlier said that he had received nothing from the club to indicate they had received a firm bid from Brentford and revealed there had been discussions over a new contract for a player he considers integral to the direction he wants to take the club in.
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Hide AdThe transfer window closes at 5pm on Friday. Defender van Aken described Bannan as one of the best midfielders he had ever played with.
“It’s not up to me to make the decision over whether he stays,” he said. “But if it was up to me of course I would have him stay with us.
“You can see just how important he is to the team, especially when he have the ball. He is the kind of player that can break games open from nowhere.
“He’s the player with this quality you need in your squad. Every team in the Championship would love to have someone like that in their team. He would be a really big loss to us.”
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Hide AdThere are reports Brentford will test Wednesday’s resolve with a deadline day bid, something van Aken said would not be welcome among the players.
“He knows how much we appreciate him. I hope he stays,” he said.
“He’s definitely one of the best midfielders I have played with. I really like him as a player.”