Alex Neil teases Millwall transfer boost involving Japhet Tanganga and Mihalio Ivanovic | OneFootball

Millwall boss Alex Neil has said that Millwall will not try to actively sell players this summer.

Millwall boss Alex Neil has revealed that the Lions won’t actively look to try and sell any players during the summer transfer window and insisted they want to retain their best assets.

The East London outfit will be hoping to go one better come the end of next season and secure a play-off place, after a final day defeat to Burnley left them narrowly outside the top six.

It was a remarkable fight to get into that position though, with Millwall winning five out of their last seven league games.

Ending the season on such a high has resulted in exit talk for some of the top talent in the squad though.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga has been linked with moves away to top-flight clubs around Europe, with the likes of Leeds United, Burnley, Sunderland and Crystal Palace keen, along with sides in Germany and France.

Meanwhile, Mihailo Ivanovic has been touted for an exit to Serie A with Parma, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

It has been reported that a €10 (£8.6 million) offer has been offered already by the Italian club, which Millwall have since rejected, as speculation continues to fuel over the 20-year-old’s future.

With two of Millwall’s top players worryingly linked with departures, Neil has offered an optimistic outlook when quizzed over the links.

Alex Neil optimistic Millwall can keep Japhet Tanganga and Mihalio Ivanovic beyond this summer

As per a report by Southwark News, Millwall boss Alex Neil has clarified that the Lions will not actively look to sell any players this summer and is hopeful that the club can keep hold of its better first-team figures.

When asked if he expects Tanganga to remain at Millwall, Neil said: “I hope so. I don’t think there’s anything at the moment that suggests otherwise for us.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation, as there always is, whether it be with Japhet or whether it be with Mihailo or whether it be with anybody else. There are always little bits that are doing the rounds, but we are focused on trying to be the best version of ourselves in terms of making sure we try and retain our best players.

“But as always, we’re not naive. We are not actively looking to try and sell anyone. We want to try and retain the squad, and we want to try and grow and build and be good this season. “Equally, if somebody comes in with offers that are way beyond what we would maybe have as an evaluation of a player, then certain decisions may well get made.

“But that’s understandable. That goes for any club. It goes for clubs like Liverpool when Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving and all that sort of stuff. So this isn’t exclusive to Millwall.

“What I will tell you is we have no ambitions or certainly no effort is going into trying to move any of our players. We want to keep them here. We like them. We think they’ve got real growth in terms of them individually, but also us as a team. And we want to try and make sure this year is a good year for us.”

When asked if a ‘mind-blowing’ offer had come in, Neil added: “No. I don’t really read too much, but I need to make myself aware when things are getting talked about. All I would say is don’t believe everything you read. There’s a lot of just sort of speculation of people putting things out there that haven’t got any sort of fact behind it.”

Millwall can push for promotion in the event of Japhet Tanganga, Mihalio Ivanovic stays

For any promotion push to happen, Millwall must keep hold of Japhet Tanganga and Mihailo Ivanovic, with the duo really impressing last season.

Solidifying the Lions' backline with his leadership, physicality and natural ability to read the game ahead of others, Tanganga has rediscovered himself at the Den, resulting in him scooping the 2024-25 Supporters’ Club Player of the Season award.

At the other end of the pitch, Ivanovic has developed the habit of regular goalscoring in the Championship by netting 12 times last campaign, and at such a young age, there’s much more room to develop and improve on that record.

Of course, Millwall won’t stand in the way if an offer is too good to refuse, but there’s been no big money on the table to sway their stance yet.