Millwall player set for transfer exit – Rotherham, Bolton Wanderers & Stockport should swoop ASAP | OneFootball

The defender is out-of-favour at Millwall and attracting interest in League One and in Scotland

Millwall defender Wes Harding is reportedly attracting interest from League One and the Scottish Premiership as the end of the January transfer window nears.

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who has revealed that “several” such clubs are eyeing the 29-year-old.

Harding has been restricted to just eight Championship appearances for the Lions so far this season, only two of which were from the start.

With that in mind, Football League World takes a look at which League One clubs he could be suited to…

Rotherham United

Harding moved to Millwall in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer when his deal with Rotherham United expired - could he return to the New York Stadium?

The defender had spent three full seasons with the Millers, during which he dropped into the third tier with the club, and helped them gain promotion back to the Championship.

Rotherham find themselves in a tricky spot as things stand, currently facing a relegation battle in the third tier, something Harding knows all about facing with the club, meaning he could be precisely the experienced head needed to stabilise things from now until the end of the season.

The 29-year-old will undoubtedly have offers from further up the league, but his 140 outings for Rotherham is by far the most appearances Harding has ever made for any one club, so should an offer arrive, it could be one that pulls on the heartstrings.

Bolton Wanderers

Higher up in the division, Bolton Wanderers may well have plenty of use for a player like Harding.

He’s a centre-back by trade, but has played a significant number of games down the right side and also filled in on the left on occasion.

That would work perfectly for the Trotters, who have not only lost central defender Will Forrester to fellow League One side Leyton Orient, but also full-back Josh Dacres-Cogley to another third-tier outfit, Stockport County.

With Harding’s previous experience, he would not only add Championship know-how to the squad, but also be able to cover both areas Bolton have lost talent in during this January window.

Stockport County

Although Stockport County signed Dacres-Cogley this window, they may still have a use for Harding, with Dave Challinor’s three-at-the-back system creating plenty of opportunities.

This January they have also waved goodbye to Corey O’Keeffe, who return to Barnsley from his loan spell, Jack Hunt and Jay Mingi, who has gone on loan to Forest Green.

On top of that, they have also been dealing with injuries to centre-back duo Callum Connolly and Arttu Hoskonen, the latter of which is yet to make an appearance for Stockport despite signing in the summer.

Having lost Fraser Horsfall to Blackpool that same summer, it appears the idea was for the 28-year-old Hoskonen to come as a more experienced professional to guide a young backline of Ethan Pye, Brad Hills and Joseph Olowu, but he simply hasn’t been able to have that impact due to injury.

With Harding out of favour and also out of contract in the summer, he may well be available on a cheap deal to cover for those absences and, over the next couple of years, help the Hatters bridge the gap between League One and Championship football.