Five Realistic Millwall Signings and Why they could push the Lions to playoff glory next season
The Lions had an eventful season to say the least – with their play-off push going down to the final day of the Championship season. Needing a win against Lancashire based Blackburn Rovers, Millwall were 3-1 up inside the opening 45 minutes, however managed to capitulate in the second half, losing the game 4-3 after 90 minutes. After this disappointment, I have compiled a list of five realistic players of whom I feel that Millwall should look to bring in over the summer transfer window to bolster the squad and strengthen their chances of finishing in the top 6 next season.
1. Joe Bryan (Left Back)
Joe Bryan is a born winner and will be available to sign on a free transfer when his contract expires with Fulham over the summer. The English full back may have made just nine appearances in Ligue 1 last season for OGC Nice, but he is most certainly Championship proven, as he is best known for scoring the winning goal in the 2019/20 Play off Final against bitter rivals Brentford to send Fulham up to the Premier League. He made 16 league appearances for the Cottagers in their 2021/22 season, where they managed to win the Championship comfortably, with no other team really coming close to their points tally all season. Bryan is a player of whom Millwall have already been linked with this month and would seemingly become a key man upon arrival at the club. The reason as to why Millwall need a left back is due to this position being seen as a weakness in our team by many fans. Scott Malone and Murray Wallace have both been at fault for multiple conceded goals this season and the fans are calling for a change. Joe Bryan is the man.
2. Jordan Williams (Right Back)
Jordan Williams is a 23-year-old right back who plays for Barnsley in League One – a side who are currently fighting it out in the play-offs, he has put in some seriously impressive displays. Whilst he is, by trade, a right back, he can also slot in as a right sided midfielder, as he has done for most of this season with Barnsley, when needed. As well as this he can play at centre half on occasion and these are three positions in which you could argue that Millwall need reinforcements, so investing in a player who can fill in for all three positions could be extremely useful for the Lions, especially seeing that his original and arguably best position is the one occupied by Danny McNamara, who was seen to be struggling towards the back end of the season. Williams featured in 43 out of their 46 league games this season and was an integral part of them making the playoffs.
3. Macaulay Langstaff (Striker)
The only non-league player on the list, but there is no doubt he is far greater than non-league quality. The Geordie striker managed to bag a staggering 41 goals in the National League alone, smashing the previous record. This man needs no introduction, and whilst he may take a while to adjust to the higher pace of league, there is no doubt that once he’s adjusted, he will be a goal scoring machine at a higher level. Despite Bradshaw and Flemming combining to score 32 goals between them in the Championship this season, the common feeling amongst the Millwall faithful is that the team as a whole would have performed better with another forward helping them out. I feel that Langstaff would be the perfect option as he is a proven clinical goal scorer.4. Vito Van Crooij (Winger)
We all know how good the signing of Zian Flemming last summer for a record fee turned out to be for the Lions, so with this pick I have taken some inspiration from that signing and put forward another high scoring Eredivisie player, of whom I feel could hit great heights at The Den. Van Crooij managed to score 11 goals and was also a creative spark, with 11 assists. Once Burke goes back to Werder Bremen, it is likely that the Lions will need to replace him with another winger, and who better to go for than another high scoring Dutchman who can link up with Flemming, as he will provide both a goal scoring threat and be able to bolster the creativity within the team. Van Crooij has experience playing in the Dutch youth system, playing alongside the likes of Nathan Ake and Steven Bergwijn, and the 27-year-old would have been able to improve his game just from playing with world class talent.
5. Luke Southwood (Goalkeeper)
Whilst this would be a luxury signing, I do still feel that the Lions could do with another goalkeeper. Bialkowski will now be likely to leave the club due to being side-lined for most of the season in our last campaign. The vast majority of the fanbase have been extremely disappointed with George Long’s performances this season, especially in recent weeks, with a notable error coming in the final game of the season against Blackburn which led to a tap in.
Southwood managed to keep 16 clean sheets from 46 games in League One for a struggling Cheltenham side, and whilst he will most likely become Reading’s starting goalkeeper next season in League One, it may be easy to tempt him away from a team who are struggling heavily financially.
This Piece Was Written by Kieran Mill @kieranhillfooty
Great choices, Millwall lacked a goal threat all season from Midfield and with Ogbene available for free, Tom Ince will want the chance to jump back up to championship. Both of them scored about 17 between them which is much more than our midfield did combined and they were both playing in struggling sides.
Totally agree with you some new blood and bring some of the youngsters up for experience