Millwall will be looking to improve on their mid-table finish last term, and they may already have some players in their ranks to assist with that goal.
The most attention, as is the case every summer, will naturally be on incoming transfers, but putting trust in some of the youngsters already at the Den could save the Lions a fortune in the long run.
It would be a strategy that would likely require some patience as the young stars adjust to first-team Championship football, but the potential savings would be huge.
Here, FLW look at three players who could step into the senior set-up at the Den…
Romain Esse
Romain Esse has already made strong strides into the first team over the past couple of seasons, but the Lions could save themselves a fortune by integrating him into the starting XI more regularly heading into the new season.
He made 25 appearances in the second tier last term, but only six were as part of the starting XI, with the 19-year-old spending the rest of the season on the South East London club’s bench.
| Esse’s Championship season, as per Whoscored | |
|---|---|
| Starts (Sub) | 6 (19) |
| Minutes played | 734 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Key passes per 90 | 0.4 |
| Dribbles per 90 | 0.6 |
| Pass success rate | 73.7% |
A promising young creative spark, Esse can play on the right of midfield or in more central areas, and he managed to pick up two goals last season.
The England youth international troubling the starting XI at such a young age shows how much potential he has. If manager Neil Harris ups his game time during the next campaign, he may save the club a considerable sum they may otherwise have spent on bringing in external attacking talent.
Eberechi Eze has been picked for the England squad by Gareth Southgate, however before this the 25-year-old had been released by four clubs.
Adam Mayor
Hull City loanee Ryan Longman was a key performer for the Lions last season, making a total of 35 appearances during the campaign, scoring three goals and providing a further three assists predominately from the left flank.
It is therefore of little shock that the club have expressed an interest in bringing the winger back in permanently. However, Longman still has a year left to run on his current Tigers deal, meaning a fee would be required to release him from his parent club, and there’s no guarantee the two clubs will come to an agreement.
Millwall did recruit a younger left-winger earlier this year in Adam Mayor, paying an undisclosed fee to bring him in from Morecambe on a long-term deal.
The 19-year-old showed promise at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, notching three goals and five assists in just 23 appearances for the League Two outfit.
Rather than fork out more money just six months on from that deal, the Lions could instead place their faith in the youngster and allow him to develop in the first team.
FLW looks at three players it makes sense for Neil Harris to target in the transfer window
The Lions signed goalkeeper Ethan Wady on a free transfer after the 22-year-old was released from Chelsea, where he spent a significant portion of his youth career.
Wady has had loan spells at multiple non-league clubs but has yet to make his impact on the Football League at a senior level.
He is therefore unlikely to unseat regular stopper Matija Sarkic, but former no.1 Bartosz Bialkowski is set to leave the club this summer, so Wady could step up from the youth ranks to become a number two, saving the club some money in the process.
The US national will now have adjusted to the physicality of senior football during his time in non-league and will have faced some top talents in Chelsea’s academy ranks, so deputising this season may be the next step-up.
Bialkowski himself made 14 league appearances last seasona due to Sarkic’s injury, so along with potential chances in cup competitions, Wady may find a route to developing into a fully-fledged Football League goalkeeper this way.
