Millwall issued transfer window warning amid Premier League promotion battle | OneFootball

FLW's Millwall fan pundit has warned the club about the risks posed by promotion to the Premier League

Millwall are in the mix for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season under Alex Neil.

The Lions are only two points behind second place Middlesbrough going into the March international break following their 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town last weekend.

Josh Coburn’s second half equaliser ensured that the London outfit remain level on points with the Tractor Boys in third, albeit Kieran McKenna’s side have a game in hand.

Neil’s team have just seven games left to secure a first top flight return since their 1990 relegation, as they seek a first ever Premier League appearance.

However, the play-offs also offer a route out of the Championship, with the club six points clear of seventh place Wrexham.

Millwall will already have one eye on the upcoming transfer window, and may already be planning for what the summer could look like if the team earns a place in the Premier League.

Millwall warned of busy summer business

When asked how the current squad could cope in the Premier League, FLW’s Millwall fan pundit Lucas Ball claimed that a lot of work would be needed in the summer as only a few players could fare well in the top flight.

He believes that any promoted side now needs to invest in the squad to survive, but he is optimistic that the likes of Femi Azeez, Alfie Doughty and Tristan Crama could all make the transition to the first division, particularly with Azeez attracting interest from Premier League clubs anyway.

“I think any club now pretty much needs to do some work to their squad,” Ball told Football League World.

“You can obviously be smart in your recruitment and try tap into different markets, and things like that, but it can be slightly untested, which is obviously a risk in itself.

“There’s a handful of players that you think would do okay in the top flight.

“Obviously, Alfie Doughty’s been up there before with Luton, I think Tristan Crama would be able to adapt to the level, Femi Azeez the same — obviously a range of Premier League clubs looking at him anyway.

“Beyond that, we’ve got some youngsters, some younger players who are still developing and growing, so there’s no reason why they might not be able to adjust eventually, but it might take them some time to adapt.”

Millwall must make risky transfer decision

Ball believes that Millwall could accept relegation as a high probability and not invest in the team as much, but that this strategy carries just as big of a risk as spending big like Sunderland did last summer, with the Black Cats now set to survive in the top flight.

“I think most clubs that go up now from the Championship, you’ve seen the clubs this year that didn’t do so much business, particularly Burnley, didn’t do probably as much as Sunderland and Leeds and Sunderland were obviously a way off those two last season,” he continued.

“So, potentially you could argue they needed to do more.

“But Burnley are rooted in the relegation zone, and don’t look like they’re going to get out of it.

“Most clubs now, to have a chance, they’re going to have to try and spend, it’s just whether you gamble that or accept trying to be a yo-yo club for a couple of years, and accept that you’re going to come down and try and bounce back up.

“But obviously that’s still a risky strategy, you’re not necessarily going to back yourself for relegation as it were, but maybe don’t spend as much, accept that the chances are you’ll come back down, unless there’s some really good work.

“And then hope to bounce straight back up, but the Championship is so competitive now, especially if there’s more changes coming to parachute payments and everything that comes with that, you might not necessarily have the same benefits that clubs in the last few years have enjoyed in coming back down.

“The squad as it is will need some work, but that’s work that would happen this summer regardless of, as always at this stage of the season, if you’re in the sort of position we’re in, there will be two lists of transfer targets being assembled for the summer.

“One of those will be if we’re still in the Championship, and one of those will be if we’re in the Premier League for next season, so we just have to wait and see what happens.”

Millwall are fourth in the Championship table with just seven games remaining, but they still have their sights set on an automatic promotion place.

While the gap to seventh place Wrexham is far from safe, with the Red Dragons just six points behind, Neil’s side will have their eye on Middlesbrough in second when the league returns from the March international break.

In fact, the Lions will travel to the Riverside on 3 April to face Boro in a 12.30pm kick-off where a victory will move the club into second place.

Busy summer awaits Millwall

Regardless of whether Millwall go up or not, this is likely to be a busy summer at the Den as a consequence of their impressive form.

Azeez is attracting Premier League level interest and could be sold if the club are still in the Championship, and other players like Crama and Doughty could also be in line for big money moves.

And if Millwall are able to secure promotion, then a number of additions will be needed if the Lions want to remain in the division beyond one year.

The pressure will be on for the final seven games, particularly for the clash against Boro, but it promises to be an exciting end to the campaign for supporters.