Millwall advised to complete "smart" double Middlesbrough & Chelsea transfer that would cost £0 | OneFootball

The season has only just concluded, but clubs like Millwall will already be preparing for next term

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Millwall only narrowly missed out on a Championship play-off spot this past season, and will now be readying themselves to go again ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

The summer will see some veteran players depart on free transfers, and there's likely to be interest in the likes of Japhet Tanganga too, but all eyes will be on the players they manage to bring in to get them closer to the promotion contenders.

It remains to be seen who the Lions opt to recruit, but names are already swirling around The Den.

Anfernee Dijksteel and Zak Sturge backed to join Millwall in double summer transfer deal

FLW asked our Millwall Fan Pundit, Lucas Ball, which signings he'd like to see arrive in South Bermondsey the most, and the full-back areas appear to be somewhat of a priority.

Speaking to Football League World, Lucas said: “In terms of signings, I think there is a fair amount that we need to do.

“We need to get probably at least one central midfielder in, if not two. Possibly another number 10. And then at least one striker, but probably two strikers, as well.

“So, I mean, we've got versatility and some of those forward options with the young players that we've brought in in January, but most of them didn't really contribute to the first team since signing.

“Guys like Zak Lovelace, Benicio Baker, they haven't really been too involved yet, so hopefully with the pre-season under their belt, they can obviously step up to the first-team squad and give us that bit more depth, certainly out wide and Lovelace can play through the middle as well, so that's a good option to have.

“But yeah, I think there are a couple of positions we need to strengthen there. Possibly need a right-back as well.

“I know we've been linked with [Anfernee] Dijksteel from Middlesbrough, who I think is out of contract, and there were rumours we were interested in him in January, so that makes sense.

“And then probably need a left-back too, and maybe a centre-back depending on if [Japhet] Tanganga was to go, but it looks like Shaun Hutchinson and Murray Wallace will be leaving, so we probably need one anyway, ideally left-footed to be a back-up to Jake Cooper.

“But yeah, I think it always sounds fairly boring when you get this kind of question and go for something like a full-back.

“I think Dijksteel would be a good signing, experienced at Championship level and could certainly be a good option to compete with Ryan Leonard for that right-back spot.

“Then, at left-back, Zak Sturge did really well in the few games he did play since joining on loan from Chelsea, I think he might be out of contract this summer as well, so if we could pick him up on a free... he already knows the club, he wouldn't have to move out of London.

"He's looked really good, and a player that you could see the manager enjoying working with and improving under him.

“So yeah, I think that'd be a really smart pick-up if we could get those two deals done, particularly if they were both free transfers to leave budget in other areas where it might be slightly more needed.”

Anfernee Dijksteel & Zak Sturge would be a strong start to Millwall's summer business

As Lucas points out, there have already been links between the Lions and Middlesbrough’s Anfernee Dijksteel, who is out of contract at the Riverside Stadium, as revealed by journalist Darren Witcoop.

It would be a smart acquisition, on a free transfer, adding a player with 153 Championship games under his belt to an area of the pitch that the Lions could do with bolstering.

And although Sturge did only manage five Championship appearances for Millwall in his loan stint, he is a well-regarded academy player, who Chelsea fought hard to get, so if he is available cheaply, it would be a no-brainer to bring him in and see if he can be developed at the Den, and potentially sold on for a significant fee further down the line.

Lucas did identify the need for a striker, which may arrive as a more exciting signing, but landing these two full-backs certainly wouldn’t be a bad way to kick off the transfer window.