Millwall now set to announce signing of 'athletic' Premier League defender

Millwall are set to sign a player Alex Neil has already said he likes. The Lions are gearing up for what will be an intriguing season, and Neil’s first season in charge, no less.

Millwall just missed out on the playoffs last season after a late surge, and there is real excitement around what Neil might be able to achieve after a summer in charge and the chance to put more of his own stamp on his squad, given he has only had one window so far.

The Lions will be working within a sensible budget, but within that, they will have no qualms over backing Neil given what he managed last season. The London club may have to deal with the departure of Mihailo Ivanovic, which could be a wrench in their plans, but for now, they will be focused on adding key additions to key positions.

According to Hayters, Millwall are on track to announce the signing of a player Neil knows well from last season. Zak Sturge, who joined on a loan deal from Chelsea for the second half of last season, is now set to sign on a permanent deal after making five league appearances for the Lions last season. The 21-year-old left-back will add depth, and he will be hoping to get even more action under his belt next season.

Neil said after a Sturge appearance last season: “There were just a couple of times, obviously he’s really eager, he sort of pops that ball and runs beyond it before we secured it. So a couple of little bits to improve on. I thought he was competitive in the air. I thought you could see he’s athletic, handles the ball well. There’s nothing better when you’re a young lad that’s come in, got on the pitch and your team wins 1-0 right at the death so he’ll be delighted with that.”

When Millwall signed Sturge at the end of the winter window, Lions director of football Steve Gallen said: “We've been watching Zak Sturge for a while now. We decided to make a move for him given the current situation. He is an athlete, is big, strong and direct and very attack-minded. We thank Chelsea for their assistance in getting this deal done - he is going to be a very good addition to the squad.”

It’s unclear how much Millwall will have to pay for Sturge, but Chelsea are likely to take a hit on their investment. They signed Sturge for a £900,000 fee with potential add-ons bringing the total worth up to £3.4million. Though, a tribunal saw Chelsea pay more than that to Brighton, although the tribunal also included another player to complicate the issue.

Sturge never made a single league appearance for Chelsea, and it now looks as though his next chapter will be with Millwall, who will be hoping to put together a more successful playoff run during the coming season.

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