"Not really a Chaplin upgrade" - Ipswich Town plotting Millwall transfer raid | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

According to London News Online, the Dutchman could be set for an exit from The Den this summer, with his agent looking for the next step in the attacking midfielder's career.

The Tractor Boys earned promotion to the Premier League in remarkable fashion, and are now planning for life back in the top flight for the first time since 2002.

Zian Flemming's importance to Millwall

Flemming signed for the Lions in the summer of 2022, joining from Dutch side Fortuna Sittard for a reported £1.7 million - a club-record fee at the time for the side from South Bermondsey.

The 25-year-old has impressed during his time with the London club, contributing 22 goals and eight assists from 89 appearances in the Championship.

Flemming was valued at £15 million last summer amid interest and bids from Burnley, but remained with Millwall into a second campaign in the Championship, although he couldn't get close to his goalscoring tally from his debut campaign in England.

Zian Flemming could strenghten Ipswich Town's hand in the Premier League

Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether Flemming heading to Portman Road would be a good move for Ipswich…

Declan Harte

Flemming had an excellent first season with Millwall, which led to speculation over a move to the Premier League last summer.

His second season was less impressive, but he still stood out as one of the Lions' best player as they struggled to maintain their competitiveness - at least until Neil Harris returned.

This year he was utilised in a greater variety of positions, including further forward, after playing quite well in the number 10 role in his first season.

This role suited him better, but he proved his versatility this year and continued to be a key attacking threat wherever he was used.

Ipswich will need to make improvements to their forward options over the summer, especially with some loan players potentially not returning to the club.

Flemming could provide strong competition for the likes of Conor Chaplin through the middle, or he can be used out wide or up front.

This variety in his game could be very useful, and would likely mean he’d be signed as a squad player in Kieran McKenna’s team.

If Millwall could get a fee close to that £15 million valuation for him then that would be great business, especially given he was signed for just £1.7 million.

Ipswich should have some money to spend now they’re back in the Premier League, and this could be a smart way to strengthen the depth of their forward line, but it will also depend on how much the potential fee eats into their overall budget.

Ben Wignall

Flemming's stock is definitely not as high as it was 12 months ago, but the fact that top flight clubs are still interested even though he only scored seven league goals in 2023-24 speaks volumes about his talent.

Whilst Millwall wanted around £15 million for his services last summer though, I don't think it'll take that much for Neil Harris and co to cash in this time around.

Flemming is not as indispensable as he was last year to Millwall, and if an £8 million bid came in from Ipswich, that money could go towards strengthening a number of positions in Harris' squad.

As for his suitability for Ipswich, Flemming is definitely a different kind of attacking midfielder to Conor Chaplin, with the former being more of a powerhouse compared to the latter being a smaller, trickier customer technically.

It may be good for Kieran McKenna to have two different options, especially as there's no guarantee that Chaplin will be able to step up to the top flight, and for a Premier League club, what Flemming is likely to cost will not be that significant at all.

I'm not sure that Flemming would be guaranteed first-team football in Suffolk though, and he's not really a Chaplin upgrade in the grand scheme of things based on the last 12 months, so if the Tractor Boys are going to be in the market for a player in that position, then they could do better.