Barry Bannan on £24k-a-week: Who are Sheffield Wednesday's 5 best paid players? | OneFootball

We looked at Sheffield Wednesday's top five highest paid players and how much they are estimated to earn at Hillsborough.

After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship last season, it has been an excellent first half of the campaign for Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday were widely expected to climb the table under manager Danny Rohl this season, and after the arrival of 11 new signings over the summer, they have made significant progress in the opening months of the campaign.

A play-off push could be a step too far for the Owls at this stage of their development, but they have emerged as outside top six contenders in recent weeks, and the January transfer window will likely be crucial to their promotion prospects.

While Wednesday's vast improvement this season has raised a few eyebrows, they do have a bigger wage bill than many of their Championship rivals, so perhaps it should not be too much of a surprise to see them in the top half of the table.

With finances likely to be a topic of discussion at Hillsborough once again in January, we looked at the Owls' current top five highest paid players.

All figures are according to Capology, and it should be stressed that they are an estimate.

Yan Valery - £20,000-a-week

Defender Yan Valery may have only joined Wednesday in the summer, but he is one of their biggest earners, taking home £20,000-a-week and £1,040,000-a-year.

Valery made the move to Hillsborough from French side Angers in June for a fee of around £400,000, reuniting with Rohl after they worked together previously during his time as assistant manager at Southampton.

Given the impressive performances of Pol Valentin last season, many questioned the need for the Owls to sign another right-back, but Valery has proven to be a useful addition so far.

Valery has featured at right-back, wing-back and centre-back for Wednesday this season, and having chipped in with a few assists already, Rohl will no doubt be hoping he can continue to contribute at both ends of the field.

Nathaniel Chalobah - £20,000-a-week

Midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah is another summer signing who has immediately become one of Wednesday's highest paid players, and like Valery, he also earns £20,000-a-week and £1,040,000-a-year.

Chalobah joined the Owls on a free transfer in July following his departure from West Bromwich Albion, and after he helped the Baggies reach the Championship play-offs last season, he looked to be a strong signing for the South Yorkshire outfit.

Unfortunately for Chalobah, he has been plagued by injuries during his first few months at Hillsborough, and he only made his league debut for Wednesday as a substitute in the 2-1 win at Derby County earlier this month.

Now he is back to full fitness, Chalobah will be determined to show Owls supporters what he is capable of, but he faces a tough battle to break into the team ahead of Southampton loanee Shea Charles.

Dominic Iorfa - £20,000-a-week

Defender Dominic Iorfa is the third of four Wednesday players who are estimated to receive £20,000-a-week and £1,040,000-a-year.

Iorfa arrived at Hillsborough from Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2019 for a fee of around £500,000 during Steve Bruce's time as manager, and he is one of the Owls' longest-serving players.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a move away from Wednesday in the past, with Preston North End and Dinamo Zagreb both said to have been keen last summer, but signed a new contract to extend his stay at the club in July.

Iorfa was a member of the Owls squad that won promotion from League One in the 2022-23 campaign, and while he may not reach the landmark this season, he is closing in on his 200th appearance for the club.

Ike Ugbo - £20,000-a-week

Striker Ike Ugbo is another member of the Wednesday squad who takes home £20,000-a-week and £1,040,000-a-year.

Ugbo initially joined the Owls on loan from Troyes in January, and he scored seven goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances in the second half of last season to help keep the club in the Championship.

It is fair to say that without Ugbo's goals, Wednesday would no longer be a second tier side, and there was plenty of excitement when he returned to Hillsborough on a permanent basis in the summer for a fee of £2.5 million.

However, Ugbo has struggled to replicate his form from last season, and Owls supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated with his lack of goals, but Rohl insists that he has full belief the 26-year-old will eventually come good.

Barry Bannan - £24,038-a-week

It will come as no surprise to Wednesday supporters to see that Barry Bannan is their highest paid player, with the midfielder estimated to earn £24,038-a-week and £1,250,000-a-year.

Bannan has made well over 400 appearances since joining the Owls on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015, and he has established himself as something of a club legend during that time.

The Scot has had opportunities to leave Hillsborough over the years, with Brentford reportedly making an offer for him in the summer of 2020, but he has remained loyal to Wednesday, and he achieved his objective of leading the club back to the Championship.