Why the Ipswich Town bid that Millwall turned down might only be the beginning of the story | OneFootball

Millwall rejected a bid from Ipswich Town for Femi Azeez that would have broken the Lions' club-record sale.

Millwall enjoyed a successful winter transfer window, which included fending off Ipswich Town's advances for key player Femi Azeez.

The Lions also acquired former Sheffield Wednesday talisman Barry Bannan on a permanent deal, whereas goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and winger Tommy Watson joined on loan from Sunderland and Brighton, respectively.

Patterson and Watson both played key roles in Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League last term, with the Brighton summer signing scoring the Black Cats' winning goal against Sheffield United in last term's play-off final.

This term, meanwhile, Millwall retain serious play-off credentials at the business end of the season, and boss Alex Neil will be hoping to see a strong impact from his recent recruits.

Ipswich Town advances may not spell the end of Femi Azeez transfer saga at Millwall

Azeez has been a star performer for the Lions in the Championship this season, scoring seven goals and producing two assists in 19 league appearances.

Neil's side rejected multiple bids from Ipswich for the 24-year-old, including one which would have been a club-record sale, as reported by Southwark News on transfer deadline day.

The Lions undoubtedly made the right decision to retain the winger, who will have a major say in whether Millwall successfully land a play-off spot.

Furthermore, selling one of their most prized assets to Ipswich, who could finish alongside Neil's men in the top six, would have been a particularly unwise decision.

However, if the Den club fail to win promotion to the Premier League come the end of the campaign, they should be readying themselves for the prospect of recouping a major fee for Azeez.

The 24-year-old has proven his worth in the Championship since joining from League One outfit Reading in the summer of 2024, and remains under contract with Millwall until the summer of 2028.

Clinching promotion to the Premier League may be the Lions' only way of retaining such a talented player, who still has bags of potential, while his healthy contract length means that he is worth a very handsome transfer fee.

Azeez recently proved his ability to perform against some of the Championship's best sides when he notched an assist in a 2-1 defeat to automatic promotion contenders Coventry City on 20 January.

He also caused local rivals Charlton Athletic plenty of problems when the Lions thrashed the Addicks 4-0 just four days after their trip to Coventry.

Femi Azeez and January signings can fire Millwall to the Championship play-offs

Millwall will face an uphill battle to keep the former Reading man if they fail to win promotion, which is indicative that he has the quality to fire them to the Championship play-offs.

Alongside Azeez, the Lions also enjoy the services of talented attackers such as Mihailo Ivanovic and former Sparta Rotterdam ace Camiel Neghli.

Adding Bannan, who was a class act for Wednesday over the years, and former Sunderland starlet Watson to the mix can make Azeez perform even better.

Millwall face a particularly important Championship clash, amid their play-off push, when they face fellow top-six chasers Wrexham in North Wales this Saturday.

The Lions' trip to the Racecourse Ground provides Azeez with yet another opportunity to prove his worth against one of the second tier's most high-profile opponents, which could make either promotion or a summer exit more likely.

Following their trip to Wrexham, February hands Neil's men vital opportunities to add more points to their tally when they face relegation battlers, Wednesday and Portsmouth.

Millwall talents such as Azeez, Neghli and Watson should be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of being able to cause problems against sides who have particularly weak defences.

Meanwhile, the Lions should begin making a contingency plan for the eventuality of a lucrative Azeez exit, if they fall short of booking their place in next season's Premier League.