Millwall and Spurs transfer agreement could be bad news for one player: View | OneFootball

Neil Harris and Millwall will be pleased that they are heading into this summer knowing they are still a Championship team.

The 2023/24 campaign was a tough one for Millwall supporters, as the club found themselves at the other end of the table, fighting to remain in the second tier.

The club went through three different managers during the course of the season, with the final appointment of Harris being the one that dragged them out of danger.

So, the former Lions striker will now be likely to be in the dugout for the club next season, and it looks as though he could be set to already land his first signing of the summer.

Millwall had Japhet Tanganga on loan at The Den from January onwards, as he joined the club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and it now seems he could be returning to the club once again.

Millwall agree Japhet Tanganga deal

As mentioned, Millwall signed Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga on loan in the January transfer window.

This was just the defender’s second loan spell away from Spurs, with his first coming earlier this season, when he spent some time at German side FC Augsburg.

Tanganga has been on the books at Tottenham since 2009; during that time, he has come through their different academy groups and broke into the first team during the 2019/20 season.

But Tanganga has been unable to cement a place in the first team, and his chances of doing so became even clearer this summer when new manager Ange Postecoglou came in and decided to send the player out on loan.

The loan spell in Germany didn’t go very well, but his time with Millwall was a success, as the defender played 18 times in the Championship, with him grabbing two goals.

It now seems as though the Championship side could be about to bring the player back once again for next season, with Millwall said to have agreed a deal to buy the player from Spurs.

According to The Mirror, it is reported that Millwall have agreed a deal with Tottenham to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent deal this time around.

The defender’s contract at Spurs runs out this summer, but the club does have the option to extend it until 2025. However, this report states that it is likely Tanganga will leave the club this summer.

This is great news for Neil Harris, Millwall, and its supporters, but there could be one person not happy about this deal, and that is fellow defender Alex Mitchell, who may have been hoping for a chance in the first team.

Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga deal could be bad news for Alex Mitchell

Millwall may have been unsure about their chances of securing the permanent signature of Japhet Tanganga when his loan deal ended.

But it looks as though the club has been able to agree a deal with all parties that will see him return to The Den.

This will be good news for the club, as the 25-year-old was very impressive in his six months at Millwall, playing a big part in their survival.

So, Harris is obviously keen to have the player back and be part of his first-team plans for next season and beyond, which only improves Millwall’s defence.

However, as one player potentially arrives, it could spell bad news for another Millwall defender, and in this case, it could be Alex Mitchell.

Mitchell has been with Millwall from a very young age, with the centre-back coming through the club’s different age groups.

As the 2023/24 season ends, Mitchell has only played once for the Lions, and that was a 10-minute cameo in the EFL Cup in the 2021/22 season.

However, the defender has endured several loans at other clubs, and he has taken advantage of the opportunity presented to him by impressing. Mitchell has had time at Bromley, Leyton Orient, St. Johnstone, and most recently Lincoln City.

The 22-year-old’s time with the Imps has been his most impressive season to date, as the defender finished the League One campaign having played 36 times. Out of those 36 games, 34 came as starts, averaging 82 minutes on the pitch per game, and his performances even got acknowledgment from Sofascore.com.

During his time with Lincoln City, Mitchell scored just one goal, and while he didn't grab an assist, he did finish the season having created three big chances.

But defensively, it is where the player impressed the most, and it will also have impressed Millwall. Mitchell averaged 0.7 interceptions, an impressive 1.5 tackles, and won the ball back three times on average in every outing. These numbers helped him be part of an Imps' defence that kept 12 clean sheets when he was on the pitch, as per Sofascore.com.

So, it was an impressive loan for Mitchell, and he will be returning to The Den a better player for the experience, and he will be hoping it has done enough for him to be part of the first team picture next season.

Harris will likely be eyeing several changes to his squad this summer, as he will want to avoid a repeat of this season’s relegation troubles. Therefore, Mitchell has probably put himself in strong contention to be part of the first team next season.

However, the potential addition of Tanganga could scupper his path to being a regular, as he could still be kept at the club next season, but he may not feature as much as he would without Tanganga being at the club.

So, while Millwall will be pleased to have the Spurs defender joining them, it could be a worry if Mitchell isn’t given the time he wants, as he is a promising defender who could offer a lot to this Millwall defence.