Crystal Palace transfer news will be bittersweet for Millwall: View | OneFootball

The winger is starting to attract interest from the top-flight

Millwall picked up a welcome win on Saturday afternoon, with a 3-1 victory over Preston North End at The Den.

Victory over the Lancashire club saw Neil Harris' side pick up just their second league win of the season, meaning they sit 15th in the current table, with eight points from seven games.

But while it has been something of a mixed start to the campaign for the Lions so far, one player who has certainly impressed for the club from an individual perspective is Romain Esse.

On Saturday, the 19-year-old finished clinically to put Millwall 2-0 up against North End, in doing so scoring his third goal of the season across all competitions.

The teenager has made himself a regular fixture the Championship side at the start of the campaign, although it seems his form is now starting to attract interest from the Premier League.

Crystal Palace keen on Romain Esse

According to recent reports from journalist Alan Nixon, Crystal Palace are starting to take an interest in Esse after his form at the start of this season.

It is thought that the Eagles have already watched the attacking midfielder regularly and will not want to miss out on him, in the event interest from elsewhere emerges.

That will of course be bad news for Millwall, who are not going to want to lose a potential asset at such an early stage of his career, when he may have plenty more to offer them.

However, they may also be aware of the fact that Palace do have plenty of form for plucking gems from the Football League in recent years.

The likes of Blackburn Rovers' Adam Wharton, QPR's Ebere Eze, and Reading's Michael Olise have all headed to Selhurst Park over the past few seasons.

As a result, Millwall may have some concerns about whether Palace could now do the same when it comes to Esse in the near future while losing a rising star to a local rival would be a gutting blow.

Even so, it could be argued that there are still positives that the Lions could take from this move if it was to happen.

Millwall could make a big financial windfall with Romain Esse

With Esse having come through their academy ranks, the club have not had to pay any money to secure the services of the attacking midfielder.

However, it should be noted that Palace themselves will be sizable fees upfront to secure these signings from the Championship.

Wharton reportedly cost the Premier League side an initial £18 million, while they are also thought to have paid around £16 million for the signing of Eze.

As a result, Millwall could well stand to make a big profit if they are to sell Esse, which can then be reinvested back into the club.

Going further forward as well, the sell-on clauses Palace have been seen to include in these deals could also help financially in the years to come.

Recent reports have suggested that a sell-on fee from Olise's move from the Eagles to Bayern Munich this summer is currently keeping Reading going amid their financial issues.

Meanwhile, QPR were said to have included a 20% sell-on fee in the deal that took Eze to Palace back in 2020.

Amid suggestions that the Selhurst Park club have placed a £60 million price tag on the winger in the wake of interest from Manchester City, that could make even more money for QPR in the future.

Millwall, therefore, will know that Palace are willing to insert such clauses in deals they do, meaning the Lions ought to be looking to insert one into any potential sale of Esse.

If that does happen, it would ensure that not only would they make a decent initial profit, but also that they could receive more money to further boost their financial situation years later as well.

That could help with funding the club for some time to come, which would no doubt by welcome given the way in which finances of football teams are so heavily scrutinised these days.

It is also worth noting that there are claims that Esse may need more time before he is ready to move up to the Premier League, meaning this move may not come as soon as the January window.

That will ensure that Millwall can benefit from his services for a while longer yet, boosting their prospects this season.