Millwall backed to join Sheffield United in race for 11-goal midfielder | OneFootball

Millwall are likely to be busy this summer, with potential incomings on the cards, and we've looked into a midfielder that could be a useful addition.

Millwall are set for an intriguing summer transfer window ahead, with the Lions potentially preparing for life in the Premier League.

Alex Neil's side are in the mix for automatic promotion, although their chances are out of their hands, with Ipswich Town currently being ahead of them in the Championship table heading into the final weekend of fixtures.

Millwall have caught many by surprise this season, and the club's supporters won't have expected them to be pushing the likes of Ipswich, Southampton, and Middlesbrough for automatic promotion this term.

The Lions already have a spot in the play-offs guaranteed, and it'll be interesting to see whether they can hold they nerve in those season-defining games.

The likes of Femi Azeez, Josh Coburn, Tristan Crama, and Mihailo Ivanovic are just some of the players to play a crucial role for Alex Neil's team, and the Millwall fanbase will be eager to see them play their part for the club moving forward, regardless of which division they're playing their football in next season.

Should Millwall swoop for Jordan James?

One player that Millwall should potentially look into a deal for this summer is Jordan James, who is contracted to French side, Rennes. The midfielder has spent the season on loan with Leicester City, and has been a rare bright spark in a disastrous season for the Foxes, where they were relegated into League One.

James has made 33 appearances for Leicester, and has chipped in with 11 goals and four assists in his time with the club, which is set to reach a conclusion at the end of the 2025/26 campaign. It is reported that it will cost Leicester £5m to make his loan a permanent one, although with the Foxes preparing for life in the third tier, it's highly unlikely that either party will agree on a long-term deal, with Football Insider confirming this.

The midfielder was previously on the books with Birmingham City, where he caught the eye for all the right reasons, before going on to sign for Rennes for a fee believed to be in the region of £4m.

Millwall are a side that could potentially benefit from adding a player of James' talent to their ranks, although if they are to pursue a deal for the 21-year-old, they'll face tough competition, as The Star have recently reported that Sheffield United are monitoring James ahead of the summer transfer window.

Football League World's Millwall fan pundit, Lucas Ball issued his thoughts on James' quality, and highlighted James' eye for goal as something that his team have struggled to find in midfield in recent seasons.

"I've not seen much of him, to be honest. But, he's someone that's highly rated. He can play as that number eight, or as a ten, which is obviously valuable as well.

"It would certainly be an excellent pick up in the Championship, and there's potential for him to get to a higher level than that if we were to get promoted. It would be a positive bit of business. I think it would be more than that buy option that Leicester have inserted into the loan deal if anything was to happen this summer.

"He can play a couple of different roles in midfield, and has potential to add goals in that area, which is something that we've struggled with generally for a while."

Millwall's focus remains on promotion

Millwall haven't finished higher than eighth in the Championship in their last eight years in England's second tier, and having already achieved a better finish this term, they'll fancy their chances of going one step further and achieving promotion into the top-flight.

Ball went on to question whether the club are currently keeping tabs on Jordan James, but was quick to state that the club's primary focus will be on winning promotion into the Premier League, before turning their attention to potential transfer targets in the summer.

"Whether there is any interest, I'm not sure. The club have done quite well to keep any transfer targets and business quite quiet at the moment. Obviously, there will be two different lists being prepared at the moment, with one being if we're in the Championship next season, and one if we do win promotion. So, the club have done pretty well in keeping that quiet.

"The full focus right now is just finishing as high up the league as we can, and seeing where that takes us. Whether that's automatic promotion, or preparing for the play-offs, so we'll see how things go in the next week or so.

"I'm sure he's (James) a player that's on the radar, and certainly from what I have seen, and what I've heard about him, he sounds like a smart investment. I'd expect there to be plenty of interest in him, so it won't be an easy one to get over the line."

Millwall host Oxford United in their final game of the 2025/26 season, in a game where they'll be expected to pick up three important points, against a side that have already had their relegation confirmed.