Exclusive: Millwall star snubs new offer as Watford plot transfer move | OneFootball

The Lions could be about to lose one of their first-team players to a Championship rival...

Millwall look set to potentially lose one of their first-team regulars this summer on a free transfer, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

Despite going into the Championship play-offs as the club that finished the highest in the regular season table, the Lions were dumped out by Hull City over two legs at the semi-final stage - ending their campaign prematurely.

Millwall defied plenty of the odds to challenge for automatic promotion under Alex Neil, having recruited smartly in recent years and using funds from the sales of Zian Flemming and Romain Esse to create an exciting squad, yet they could not navigate their way past the Tigers, who defeated the South Bermondsey outfit 2-0 at The Den last week to book their spot at Wembley.

Neil's side will have to go again next season, and they recently confirmed their retained list ahead of the summer, with four senior players - Danny McNamara, Joe Bryan, Wes Harding and Massimo Luongo - all departing when their contracts expire, and it looks like a fifth player exit could be coming though in a fresh development.

Millwall look set to lose Billy Mitchell after new contract offer

FLW understands that despite being offered fresh terms to extend his stay at The Den, Millwall midfielder Billy Mitchell has snubbed a new contract at his boyhood club.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in South East London, has been a Millwall player since joining their under-15's in 2015, and he made his first-team debut four years later as an 18-year-old on the final day of the 2018-19 season.

Since then, Mitchell has only ever played for the Lions without even going out on loan, appearing 196 times for the club in the last seven years across all competitions, with his only goal coming in a May 2021 Championship clash with Bristol City.

Mitchell was a regular in Alex Neil's starting 11 from December 2025 until April 2026 as Millwall sought promotion to the Premier League, with an ankle injury ruling him out for a number of weeks heading into the final matches - he returned for the final match of the regular campaign, but didn't play a minute of the two-legged clash with Hull.

Now though, Mitchell has snubbed a fresh contract offer at the club he grew up supporting, and that could open him up to move to another second tier outfit.

Watford FC eyeing bargain Billy Mitchell swoop

And one club that are looking into a move for the tough-tackling midfielder are managerless Watford FC, FLW can exclusively uncover.

The Hornets ended up slumping to a 16th-placed finish in the Championship this past season, which was their worst placing since returning to the second tier in 2022-23, and they got through three different head coaches throughout the campaign in their latest managerial merry go round.

The Hertfordshire outfit, whilst also eyeing up a new head coach, are also eyeing up new players this summer, with their engine room likely to need significant work, and Mitchell is being eyed up as a player to bolster that part of the pitch.

With Mitchell snubbing a new deal at Millwall, he will be available on a free transfer this summer should nothing change, and Watford now look set to line up their own offer for the 25-year-old.