What could have been: Imagining Millwall’s 2023 Premier League summer transfer window

MILLWALL are fifth in the Championship with five games left. Promotion to the Premier League would be seismic for the club. It might not happen, but we thought it would be fun to imagine a summer transfer window with the Lions preparing for the top flight... It was the first move of what is set to be a hectic summer on the transfer front as Millwall prepare for a first-ever season in the Premier League. On Tuesday, the Lions officially announced their retained list. Mason Bennett and George Evans have been released. Oliver Burke, Callum Styles, Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton return to their clubs after their season-long loans. (Not sure we’ve heard the last of the latter two.) It means Millwall currently have a squad of 20 players with senior Lions first-team experience. That number reduces when you consider that players such as Aidomo Emakhu, Nana Boateng and Alex Mitchell will probably head out on loan. It’s going to be a fascinating window. Will the Lions go transfer-crazy like Nottingham Forest last season and recruit 30 players? Will they target the relegated clubs – West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth and Southampton – for players? Would they really sign someone from the Hammers? By our reckoning, Millwall manager Gary Rowett will want a goalkeeper, right-back, two centre-backs, a left-back, two midfielders, two wide players and two strikers. And then react to whatever else might be available, whether that be loans or frees... June 29 : BREAKING: It’s the first piece of the jigsaw! Millwall have smashed their transfer record with the £15million signing of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool. Likely the first of many signings in this window. NAD comment : The Lions were always going to demolish their transfer record this summer but it was still exciting when it happened. It beat the previous record of £1.7million for Zian Flemming last summer. (How long ago does that seem now?) Kelleher is a really astute signing and, in this day and age, pretty cheap (especially when you’ve got almost £200million burning a hole in your back pocket after promotion). Although the 24-year-old Ireland international has only started four Premier League games and made 21 appearances in his senior career, he has accumulated some really valuable experience. Kelleher was back-up to Allison over the last few seasons and will have learned a lot from the Brazil international. He has experience in the Champions League, keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Ajax, and five days after that he kept another clean sheet on his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Kelleher has a remarkable record in cup competitions. He started the 2022 EFL Cup final against Chelsea and scored what turned out to be the winning penalty for an 11-10 victory after his opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga sent his spot-kick over the bar. July 1 : FREE TRANSFER: Well, well, well. Millwall have raided relegated West Ham for left-back Aaron Cresswell. The 33-year-old joins on a free transfer after nine years with the Hammers. NAD comment : A risk to start the outfield recruitment this summer with a signing from a hated rival? Possibly, but if Cresswell does the business then no one will care where he came from and actually Lions supporters will no doubt goad Hammers fans that they pinched one of their players as well we their Premier League spot. Purely on the football side of things, this makes complete sense. Bags of experience, can still get up and down the flank and can also play as a wing-back. Good signing. July 2 : FREE TRANSFER: Millwall aren’t hanging about. Reiss Nelson joins on a free transfer from Arsenal. The 23-year-old right winger has signed a long-term contract after six years, 59 appearances and seven goals for the Gunners. NAD comment : If this is the standard for signings this summer then Millwall fans are in for a thrilling couple of months. As well as those appearances for Arsenal, Nelson has experience abroad with Hoffenheim in Germany and Feyenoord in Holland. He will add pace and dynamism down the right and will also be a goal threat. A really exciting one, this. July 3 : Some of the weekend’s papers north of the border are carrying reports that Glasgow Rangers are interested in a double-deal for Jake Cooper and Billy Mitchell. NAD comment : Never going to happen. Millwall don’t need to sell anyone with their bank account bursting following promotion. Also, there is absolutely no way any first-team player is going to want to miss out on this historic moment in the Lions’ history. Zian Flemming is another who will surely have interest, but again why would you want to leave now? It’s no surprise some Millwall players are attracting attention, but clubs are wasting their time this summer. July 10 : OFFICIAL: Millwall have broken their transfer record for the second time in 10 days with the signing of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. It’s an undisclosed fee, understood to be around £20million. NAD comment: This makes a lot of sense, not just this season but beyond. Solanke has good Premier League experience and, should the Lions’ stay in the top flight be only one season, a brilliant record in the Championship to help with an immediate return. Solanke scored 29 times in the second tier as the Cherries finished second in 2021-22. Solanke has also made appearances for Chelsea and Liverpool and Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch top flight. Solanke, 25, won’t be the last forward to arrive at the club this summer. July 16 : REPORT: The Lions are being linked with a move for talented Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan. Alan Nixon in The Sun reckons Millwall are targeting the 21-year-old and the fee would be around £10million. One to keep an eye on... July 27 : DONE DEAL: Gary Rowett has brought in centre-back Nathaniel Phillips from Liverpool. The fee being reported is £12million. All of these deals will also have various add-ons. NAD comment : It’s a bit of a surprise that Phillips, 26, stayed with Liverpool for so long, albeit he did have loan moves at Stuttgart in Germany and Bournemouth. The centre-back has had quite an interesting career. He started for Liverpool in a 2-1 win against AC Milan at the San Siro in December 2021 before his next appearance the following February was for Bournemouth in a 1-0 defeat at home to Boreham Wood in the FA Cup. Phillips has played and been part of a defence that kept a clean sheet against Real Madrid. He came on against Atletico Madrid a month after starting for Liverpool under-21s in a 4-1 Football League Trophy defeat at Bolton Wanderers. A nice piece of business by Millwall to get a relatively young centre-back with Premier League and Champions League experience. Phillips can play as a right- or left-sided centre-back so is an option to partner Shaun Hutchinson, Cresswell or Jake Cooper. Charlie Cresswell. Photo: Millwall FC July 28 : DOUBLE DEAL! You’re being spoiled, Lions fans. Cresswell and Shackleton are back in Bermondsey, this time on permanent deals. The double deal sees the Lions pay an undisclosed sum for the pair. NAD comment : It’s all coming together nicely as the Lions tick another couple of boxes in their summer recruitment drive. Millwall supporters don’t need to be told about the impacts this pair made but also about their future potential. They might not be regulars immediately but as we saw last season circumstances gave them their chances and they grabbed them. July 30 : REPORT: Millwall are being linked with a move for Jed Wallace. However, @NewsAtDen understands that their former attacker is not a target this summer. NAD comment : Can’t say we’re surprised by this one, especially after West Bromwich Albion missed out on the play-offs. Jed was brilliant for Millwall, but, to put it bluntly, the Lions are at a whole new level now. Jed is 29 and though that is by no means old, we understand that the club are targeting younger attacking players in this window, ones with potential and ideally a bit of Premier League experience. Jed is a no-go for now. August 1 : BREAKING: And there it is, Dolan has joined from Rovers on a long-term deal. Millwall don’t disclose lengths of contracts but it will be three years and an option of a further year. The fee is around £10million, as first reported by @reluctantnicko Dolan said : “The size of the fee doesn’t bother me. I’m just going to focus on working hard and trying to get my place in the team.” August 3 : DONE DEAL! Not sure how Millwall have pulled this one off. After nabbing the joint-10 th top-scorer in the Dutch Eridivisie in 2021-22 in Zian Flemming, the Lions have signed the second top-scorer in 2022-23. Greece international Anastasios Douvikas joins from Utrecht for an initial £17.5million which will rise to a new club record of £22.5million if various add-ons kick in. NAD comment : Centre-forward Douvikas, 24, ticks plenty of boxes. He is a Greece international, he’s just over six foot, and he’s coming off the back of some red-hot form last season, after 15 league goals in 32 games. Utrecht make a tidy profit on a player they paid just £1million for from Greek club Volos F.C. in 2021. Look him up on YouTube and you will see all types of finishes: header from a set-piece, first-time volley, close control in the box before firing in on his ‘weaker’ left foot, running on to the ball and smashing in on the half-volley, a turn and shot into the bottom corner from outside the box. Douvakis looks physical, quick and confident in front of goal. Douvakis will be competing with Solanke for that one centre-forward spot, though don’t rule out both playing together if Rowett decides to mix things up for certain games and play 4-4-2. August 9 : HE’S BACK! Harry Toffolo joins Millwall for a second time after Nottingham Forest gave him the green light to seek a move away from the club. Again, this looks like another astute signing and the Lions are not having to break the bank to bulk up their left-sided options. NAD comment : Toffolo, who turns 28 on August 19, didn’t make a senior appearance for the Lions after joining from Norwich City in January 2018. He was released that summer before rebuilding his career with Lincoln City and then moving back into the Championship with Huddersfield Town in 2020. Toffolo was one of 30 players signed by Forest last season and he made 15 Premier League appearances. Former England under-20 defender Toffolo has cost the Lions around £8million. Toffolo said : “I definitely have unfinished business here and intend to nail down that left-back spot, though I know it won’t be easy with the likes of Muzza [Murray Wallace] and Cressy here. [caption id="attachment_110838" align="aligncenter" width="294"] Harry Toffolo. Photo: Millwall FC[/caption] August 11 : LOAN DEPARTURE: Not a huge surprise, this one. Scott Malone has been allowed to leave on a season-long loan. Left-back/left wing-back Malone, 32, has re-joined Derby County after their promotion to the Championship last season. Malone would have been behind Cresswell, Toffolo and probably Wallace for a place at left-back. NAD comment : Malone probably shipped some unfair criticism from Millwall fans but that’s because he is such a talented player and a lot was expected of him. He was perfect for that left wing-back spot in that formation that Rowett played for much of his first three years at the club. Malone was another who signed a new deal at the start of the summer but after the signings in his position he knew he wouldn’t have much opportunity this season. He did very well for the club and was one of the big voices in the dressing room. August 15 : BURKEY’S BACK! Again! Oliver Burke has joined Millwall for a third time, a second time on loan from Werder Bremen. He will add competition in the wide areas after impressing last season following his January loan move from the Bundesliga. NAD comment : In football parlance, a bit of a no-brainer. Burke, 26, has had a fair few moves in his career but seems to enjoy himself in South Bermondsey. Lots of pace and strength and if he can add a few more goals and assists he will be a real asset in the top flight. Could be important late in games if Millwall are chasing a goal or want to relieve the pressure as he can use his pace to run at tiring defenders or take the ball up the pitch. August 18 : DONE DEAL: Millwall add to their forward options with the season-long loan signing of 18-year-old Bobby Clark from Liverpool. Clark has made two senior appearances from the Reds, coming on in their 9-0 league win over Bournemouth last August and then starting in their EFL Cup penalty shootout victory over Derby in November. NAD comment : Millwall will need a variety of attacking options this season. Clark, who is the son of former Newcastle and Fulham midfielder Lee, can play out wide or through the middle as a 10. He is excellent on the ball, a good dribbler and he is a goal threat. Epsom-born Clark is a really exciting talent. August 25 : LOAN ARRIVAL: Japhet Tanganga becomes Millwall’s 10th signing of the summer. Tanganga, 24, who can play right-back or in the centre of defence, and can even do a job at left-back, has signed a season-long loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur. NAD comment : A priority area at right-back and the added bonus of versatility across the back four or five. Tanganga will provide serious competition for Danny McNamara, who has started the season as first-choice and who has been first-choice in that position since January 2021. Tanganga has made 50 appearances for Spurs including 24 starts in the Premier League. It’s a bit of a coup securing him for the campaign as he had other interest in England and abroad. August 27 : LOAN MOVE: Tyler Burey will spend the season in the Championship with Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys were promoted through the League One play-offs in 2022-23. NAD comment : After struggling with injury last season, Burey, 22, was always going to be behind the likes of Dolan, Burke, Voglsammer and maybe even Romain Esse for a place out wide. It’s a good move for him to a big club who will have ambitions to challenge for a top-half place or maybe even the top six. [caption id="attachment_110839" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Tyler Burey. Photo: Millwall FC[/caption] August 31 : WHAT A STATEMENT! Millwall have broken their transfer record for the third time this summer, on the final day of the transfer window. And how! The Lions have sealed a £25million deal for Southampton midfielder and captain James Ward-Prowse. NAD comment : What a signing, what a statement. For one thing, Ward-Prowse, 28, is officially the best free-kick taker in the history of the Premier League. He broke none other than David Beckham’s record of 18 last season and now has 19 to his name. He will surely reach 20 with the Lions. The likes of Hutchinson, Charlie Cresswell and Cooper will also be salivating at the prospect of his set-piece deliveries. Ward-Prowse offers authority and passing ability in the middle of the park and Billy Mitchell will also be looking forward to striking up a partnership with the England international. The final piece of the jigsaw this summer, and now it’s full focus on the league with a London derby next up. August 31 : LOAN DEPARTURES: Some last bits of business in a crazy summer as Ryan Leonard joins Reading on a season-long loan. Alex Mitchell (St Johnstone), Aidomo Emakhu (Portsmouth) and Nana Boateng (Peterborough United) have also left on season-long deals. NAD comment : Leonard, 31, was Millwall’s then-record signing when he joined permanently from Sheffield United in January 2019 after moving on loan to The Den the previous August. Leonard, who signed a new deal earlier in the summer, was always a really valuable member of the squad, playing defensive midfield, wing-back, right-back, right-sided centre-back and even as an attacking midfielder in that memorable 3-2 FA Cup win over Everton. His stand-out moment in a Lions shirt was arguably his epic last-ditch tackle to deny Michael Obafemi in the 94 th minute of their game against Swansea last August. The Lions, who trailed Swansea 2-1 just after pulling a goal back, levelled in remarkable fashion in the 95 th minute when Nathan Wood scored a second Swans own goal. The Royals have an option to buy Leonard next summer. The three youngsters leaving on temporary deals would perhaps have been given their opportunities to stake a claim for first-team football with Millwall in the Championship. But after the incomings this summer they were always going to be down the pecking order. Good moves for them and chances to impress at decent levels in the Scottish Premiership and League One. Transfers in : Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool) Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) Dominic Solanke (AFC Bournemouth) Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers) Nathaniel Phillips (Liverpool) Charlie Cresswell (Leeds United) Jamie Shackleton (Leeds United) Anastasios Douvikas (Utrecht) Harry Toffolo (Nottingham Forest) James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) Loans in : Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur) Oliver Burke (Werder Bremen) Bobby Clark (Liverpool) Loans out : Scott Malone (Derby County) Ryan Leonard (Reading) Alex Mitchell (St Johnstone) Aidomo Emakhu (Portsmouth) Nana Boateng (Peterborough United) Predicted Millwall starting XI for the Premier League clash against Chelsea at The Den next Sunday, September 3: 4-2-3-1: Kelleher; Tanganga, Hutchinson, Phillips, Toffolo; Mitchell, Ward-Prowse; Nelson, Flemming, Dolan; Solanke. Substitutes : Long, McNamara, C Cresswell, A Cresswell, Saville, Burke, Clark, Bradshaw, Douvakis. Millwall squad for 2023-24 Premier League season Goalkeepers Caoimhin Kelleher, George Long, Bartosz Bialkowski, Connal Trueman Defenders Danny McNamara, Japhet Tanganga; Shaun Hutchinson, Charlie Cresswell, Nathaniel Phillips, Jake Cooper; Murray Wallace, Harry Toffolo, Aaron Cresswell Midfielders Billy Mitchell, Jamie Shackleton, George Saville, James Ward-Prowse, George Honeyman Attacking midfielders Zian Flemming, Bobby Clark Wingers Oliver Burke, Reiss Nelson, Tyrhys Dolan, Romain Esse, Duncan Watmore Forwards Tom Bradshaw, Andreas Voglsammer, Dominic Solanke, Anastasios Douvikas Image: Millwall FC

What could have been: Imagining Millwall’s 2023 Premier League summer transfer window

The Lions are preparing for just their third-ever season in the top flight of English football

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