The Wrexham and Celtic link pundit is eager to see as he hopes ace picks Wales amid Sheffield Wednesday exit
Former Scotland international Kevin Gallacher has shared his view on where ex-Celtic hero Stuart Armstrong should play his football next season after leaving Sheffield Wednesday, amid Wrexham interest.
Armstrong is a four-time Scottish Premiership winner and was one of Celtic’s standout performers for a four year period between 2015 and 2018. He made a name for himself at Dundee United between 2010 and 2014 by scoring 21 times and providing 31 assists in 150 matches before joining the Hoops and linking up with Ronny Deila’s team in January 2015.
He made 144 appearance for the Hoops across all competitions, working under Deila and later Brendan Rodgers while winning eight major honours, including a treble in his final two seasons, with his most fruitful individual campaign coming in 2016/17 when he smashed in 17 league goals.
How Stuart Armstrong has fared since leaving Celtic
Wrexham AFC eyeing up Sheffield Wednesday veteran Barry Bannan amid contract uncertainty
Wrexham are interested in a swoop for both Barry Bannan and Stuart Armstrong amid continued uncertainty at Sheffield Wednesday.
That is according to The Sun, who claim that the experienced Scottish duo have been targeted as potential additions by the Red Dragons, who have been linked with a plethora of statement signings as the Welsh outfit continue preparing for life back in the Championship for the first time since 1982.
Meanwhile, the positivity surrounding Phil Parkinson’s squad cannot be matched at Hillsborough at present, with Danny Rohl still reportedly pushing for a move away from the Owls amid disagreements with owner, Dejphon Chansiri, as a second instance of unpaid wages within the South Yorkshire club continues to rumble on in the background.
Bannan could still end his long association with the club in the coming weeks if a resolution isn’t found, whilst Armstrong was one of seven players already released by Wednesday following the publishing of their released/retained list on May 15th.
Wrexham interested in Barry Bannan, Stuart Armstrong swoop amid Sheffield Wednesday uncertainty
The aforementioned fresh transfer developments come just days after it was reported by the Sheffield Star that the S6 side had been handed a boost in their chances of retaining their club captain alongside Akin Famewo and Callum Paterson, due to the EFL recategorising the rules surrounding ‘permitted players’ after Wednesday were placed under a registration embargo on June 5th.
It has since been reported by the same publication that progress has been made regarding the non-payment of wages for the month of May, revealing that some of the playing squad have received their expected pay packets alongside non-playing staff, although some are also still waiting, two weeks on from when wages were expected to be paid.
According to The Sun’s latest update, Bannan could still leave the club after making 447 of his 630 senior career appearances for the Owls in a 10-year period, with Wrexham able to offer a high-end salary to the 35-year-old who featured in 41 second-tier matches last term.
| Barry Bannan’s Sheffield Wednesday Championship Stats 2024-25 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 41 | |
| Average Minutes Per Game | 85 | |
| Goals | 4 | |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 2.63 | |
| Assists | 5 | |
| Expected Assists (xA) | 7.35 | |
| Big Chances Created | 8 | |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.8 | |
| Touches Per Game | 64.8 | |
| Interceptions Per Game | 0.5 | |
| Tackles Per Game | 1.6 | |
| Total Duels Won Per Game | 3.1 | |
| Source:Â Sofascore | ||
As per Capology – a site which estimates the wages of players – the Scot’s salary is £24,038 per week, making him the highest earner at Hillsborough last term, ahead of a cluster of the squad who were all earning £20,000 per week.
One of those was Armstrong, who penned a short-term deal in January after moving from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps, less than a year after playing an integral role in Southampton’s promotion-winning season under Russell Martin, in which he registered 12 goal contributions in 42 league appearances.
However, the 33-year-old couldn’t have the same impact under Rohl, who he previously worked under at St Mary’s, making 11 appearances – six of which were starts – and registering a solitary assist for the aforementioned Paterson in the 1-1 draw against Portsmouth on April 26th.
Regardless, Armstrong has still caught the eye of the North Wales outfit, who are looking to bolster their squad with as much quality and experience as possible, with the playmaker available on a free transfer.
Barry Bannan and Stuart Armstrong could be lured towards Wrexham project amid Sheffield Wednesday uncertainty
It is clear that Parkinson feels that his midfield could be strengthened, as Football League World exclusively revealed that the Red Dragons have been joined by Derby County in the race to sign Lewis Travis from Blackburn Rovers, as well as links to Tommy Doyle, Charlie Savage and a stunning move for Fulham captain Tom Cairney, who is still yet to agree to a fresh deal put on the table by the West London club.
Reports of a £25m transfer kitty further showcase the pulling power at Wrexham’s disposal in potential transfer fees and wage offerings, which could lure both Bannan and Armstrong to the Racecourse Ground after weeks of financial uncertainty at Wednesday.
As well as being an attractive proposition for the players, it would be two lower-risk deals on the cheap if they were to come to fruition, but ones which could bring high rewards due to their respective abilities to dictate games from midfield, which could be a key facet in the Welsh side having a strong first season in the division after becoming the first team in EFL history to achieve three successive promotions.
