Why Millwall’s Macaulay Langstaff may hate Sheffield Wednesday transfer news | OneFootball

Millwall have been linked with Bailey Cadamarteri, and Macaulay Langstaff may find his minutes cut as a result

The jump from League Two to the Championship has been tough for Macaulay Langstaff, but as soon as he was starting to make a breakthrough at Millwall, transfer rumours from the Den perhaps have knocked him further down the pecking order.

Football League World exclusively reported that Alex Neil's side are interested in bringing in 20-year-old frontman Bailey Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday.

While Wednesday don't have many sellable assets remaining at the club due to the exile of players over the summer, Cadamarteri, who has two goals in the struggling Owls side this season, resembles one of the few left, and reports from elsewhere are crediting Scottish side Hibernian and fellow Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers with interest, too.

Langstaff will be hoping that, if Cadamarteri does make the move from the second tier's basement side, it'll be to one of the other potential suitors, rather than to the Den.

The 28-year-old may feel like his time at Millwall has a short shelf life, but he has been afforded the opportunities to prove that he can cut it in the second tier recently.

However, the signing of the 20-year-old would cut those chances immediately.

Macaulay Langstaff has started to break back into the Millwall fold once again

Langstaff came to the Den ahead of the 2024/25 campaign with plenty of pedigree as a goalscorer, albeit in the lower leagues of the EFL and in non-league.

There was no expectation that the 28-year-old could replicate his 28, 41 and 28-goal campaigns in each of the previous three seasons in the National League North, National League and League Two in the Championship, but his tenure in East London has been a non-starter, regardless.

Eight of Langstaff's 14 second-tier starts last season came in the first 14 games of the campaign. Scoring just once in that time, many critics felt that the Championship was a step too far, and Alex Neil's arrival in late December reduced him to even more substitute appearances.

This season, that continued, despite the 28-year-old scoring the winner from the bench on the opening day away at Norwich City. Langstaff had to wait until November 22 for his first Championship start of the campaign, and that was his only one until Boxing Day.

But, including that Boxing Day draw against Ipswich Town, the former Notts County forward has started and completed three of the last four.

Ironically, the one goal he's scored in this stint came in his sole bench appearance against Bristol City in a 2-1 win to close out 2025, but over the busy Christmas and New Year's schedule, Langstaff has been one of the mainstays in Alex Neil's starting eleven.

Josh Coburn's lengthy injury sustained in October has given several backup forwards the chance to prove themselves in the interim, and since Langstaff was handed the opportunity, he's grasped it and been a reliable option at the Den.

A Bailey Cadamartieri signing would undo all of Macaulay Langstaff's recent hard work

Granted, once the schedule eases up and Alex Neil can welcome back some of his currently injured players, Langstaff may be once again reduced to a bench option, but at least he's shown that he can be one of the first options the Millwall boss turns to in the hope of changing a game.

However, if reports are true and the Lions are interested in a move for Cadamarteri, that would push Langstaff back down the pecking order, as the Wednesday forward, who is eight years younger than the 28-year-old, does have a bigger ceiling and a better upside.

The former Notts County striker turns 29 just days into February, whereas Cadamarteri isn't turning 21 until May, and you'd imagine, given Millwall's recent ethos and desire to develop young players, Alex Neil's side would rather the Owls' youngster in their ranks.

It would be a shame for Langstaff, who, despite not reaching the heights of his goalscoring past, has been a hard-working outlet who has always seemed to put everything into the small amount of time he's gotten on the pitch, and looked finally ready to take that next step at the Den.

But, with over 70 EFL appearances under his belt already, Cadamarteri looks a good prospect, and even if he's only netted twice this season, many would agree that he'd come in ahead of Langstaff, stopping him from truly establishing himself in the Millwall side.