Striker Millwall tried to sign explains why he chose to join another club on deadline day

A player Millwall tried to sign has explained his reasons for going elsewhere after joining a new club on deadline day. The Lions are said to have bid for the frontman but ultimately come up short, albeit they have one giant positive coming out of the summer window.

Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic attracted plenty of attention during the summer window, with Parma and others reportedly attempting to land him after a fine season of last. The Lions demanded £10million to sell, and that price tag proved enough to keep interested parties at bay.

The Lions are optimistic about this season, even with a mixed start that has seen them win two and lose as many, but much of that optimism does rely on the presence of Ivanovic, and especially with the Lions having missed out on a possible replacement.

Hammarby frontman Jusuf Erabi, who scored 19 goals in 17 league games for the Swedish club, was said to have been of interest. The Lions are said to have bid £4.3million for Erabi, but they were beaten to the punch by Genk, who wrapped up the signing of the 22-year-old on deadline day.

Erabi has explained why he joined Genk, telling the club’s media: “KRC Genk is a big club that exudes enormous ambition and is constantly looking to grow,” Erabi said when explaining his decision to row back on a move to Millwall, European football clearly a big factor.

“That perfectly suits my character. I’m looking forward to meeting the supporters and making them happy with my passion on the pitch, with goals and with many victories, both in the league and in Europe.”

Genk director of football Dimitri de Conde said: “Jusef is a striker who leads the line with great commitment and intensity, always looking for goals. He’s the kind of player supporters come to the stadium to see.”

Neil’s frustrations

Millwall boss Alex Neil was looking forward to the window closing when he last spoke, after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Wrexham last weekend.

“The window hasn’t been helpful for us, if I’m being honest,” he said. “I think at the moment, it’s certainly distracting for some of the lads. You can’t help it, you know. If you’re a young lad and there’s talk of you might be going somewhere or your agent’s in your ear or whatever the case may be. The problem we’ve got, is we can’t affect that. But the window closing will certainly be helpful for us, I think.”

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