"£15-20m" - Millwall FC: Japhet Tanganga and Romain Esse predictions made with transfer window in mind | OneFootball

FLW's Millwall fan pundit has assessed their two best players and how much their market value would be

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Millwall will have to be wary of clubs snooping around their best players this January. Neil Harris will have a challenge on his hands in cementing the futures of his two best players: Japhet Tanganga and Romain Esse.

The Lions have found a spark in their form recently, with Harris' side climbing up the table and finding themselves as one of the most in form sides in the Championship at the current moment.

January could provide a roadblock for Harris' plans, however.

It's not a case that Millwall's two best players in the squad will definitely leave, but this good form will see them targeted, if they aren't already. Crystal Palace have been linked with Esse, via Alan Nixon, already in recent weeks.

Millwall's best players include Tanganga and Esse

The pair could bring in £30m combined

FLW's Millwall fan pundit, Chris Chapman (Chat With Chaps), has assessed the squad and believes Tanganga and Esse are the best players at Harris' disposal, before predicting the type of fee they could demand.

"Looking ahead to the January transfer window, I'd detail our two best players, Japhet Tanganga and Romain Esse," he said.

"Now, I think we are in a very fortunate position to have both of those players. We've ended up having them in our team for different reasons this season. Obviously, Esse came from our youth department and Tanganga signed permanently after a successful loan spell last season from Spurs.

"For me, Japhet is anywhere between a £5-10m central defender, he is that good. For me, the top three centre-backs in the league and I mean that.

"He is a Rolls-Royce of a defender, he has everything. He's got pace, reads everything so well, organised in our structure. There is no coincidence that, since he's come back into the side, we've conceded five goals for the whole nine games he's played.

"He really is that good. I don't know if he has a minimum fee release, but I'd imagine he does somewhere and that will be really important to make sure we negotiate, but at the same time, Japhet probably would've of signed for us, given it's a step-down, without it being a sensible move for him."

Chris thinks that retaining Esse long-term will be tough, although he could demand a handsome fee.

"For Romain, he signed a new deal in the summer, but I'd be very surprised if he's with us for next season," he continued.

"I've spoken at length about him before and, for me, he is £15-20 million in today's market. I'd be very surprised if we allowed him to go for less than that. Again, I'm sure he will have a minimum release fee, which I'm sure would have come with a bit of bargaining power on his end, because he didn't need to sign a new contract, and he could've walked away, and we'd have had to agree a small compensation amount.

"We're not being held to ransom for these two players at all, but I think we are probably bound to find sensible opportunities in the marketplace for players who will gain sensible offers."

Millwall will do well to keep hold of duo in the summer

Two key assets could well be picked off

Not many Lions fans will argue who are the club's most valuable assets.

Esse continues to prove why he is arguably the most promising star in the Championship, and Tanganga has shown why he was an option for Tottenham in the Premier League.

You've got to hail the board for their business regarding the two. Even with Esse likely to leave in the summer, he's going to generate a high fee due to him signing a new contract in the summer, which is reported to have an eight-figure release clause.

Meanwhile, the acquisition of Tanganga was excellent. Not many fans expected the centre-back to sign permanently for the club after his brilliant loan spell, but once again the board pulled some strings to get the deal done.

He's shown exactly why he's rated as one of the best in his position since returning to the squad following his suspension, and scored the only goal in Millwall's brilliant 1-0 against Leeds on Wednesday night.

Millwall may not have a challenge to keep the pair in January if they are challenging for the top-six, but the summer will be difficult.

However, both will no doubt generate some tasty transfer fees for the club.