Millwall plotting 7-figure transfer raid of bitter rivals West Ham for Andy Irving | OneFootball

The Lions are looking to do business with their bitter London rivals after the player turned down a move to Wrexham.

Millwall are reportedly keen on striking a rare transfer agreement with bitter rivals West Ham for midfielder Andy Irving, as the Scotland international turns down a move to Wrexham.

The Lions have enjoyed a positive start to the 2025/26 season.

Alex Neil's side have six points from their opening three games, with a 3-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough sandwiched in-between victories on the road against Norwich City and Sheffield United respectively.

This Saturday will see Millwall welcome Wrexham to The Den, and there may well be an intriguing transfer sub-plot to boot.

Millwall keen on West Ham, Andy Irving deal amid Wrexham snub

According to a report from journalist Alan Nixon via Patreon on Tuesday, Millwall are supposedly keen on securing a deal for West Ham United midfielder Andy Irving.

Nixon's report states that Irving, 25, has been informed that he can leave the London Stadium this summer for a fee of £3.5m.

It was previously claimed by journalist Pete O'Rourke that Wrexham had moved ahead of Scottish giants Rangers and were leading the race to sign him as a result, with the Red Dragons hopeful of convincing Irving of a move to the Raceourse Ground.

However, Nixon's new update on this transfer saga has now revealed that the Scotsman has indeed turned down a move to the Welsh outfit for personal reasons.

It's said that Millwall may now look to match Wrexham's offer, or attempt to negotiate a season-long loan with the Irons, but it's stated that this type of deal may only be signed off by United if there is a permanent move on the table upon the conclusion of the loan.

This would mark a rare occasion where Millwall and West Ham, two bitter London rivals, have done transfer business with each other, with the last transfer between the two clubs coming in the summer of 2019 when the Hammers signed goalkeeper David Martin.

Andy Irving deal would be a gamble for Millwall in more ways than one

Signing Irving would come with numerous risks for Millwall.

Firstly, the midfielder is somewhat of an enigma, and has become a cult hero among West Ham supporters after he seemingly turned up in their first-team squad out of nowhere.

That's because upon signing for the Hammers as a deadline day recruit in the summer of 2023 from Austrian side SK Austria Klagenfurt, the club didn't give his signing an official announcement.

He was immediately loaned back to Austria for the 2023/24 season, before making his Premier League debut in September of last year v Chelsea, with many Irons fans still not really knowing who he was or how he came to be a West Ham player.

After making 11 first-team appearances for the club last term, Irving has made just one appearance so far this season as a late substitute v Sunderland, ahead of United's League Cup clash with Wolves this evening.

Therefore, at £3.5m, Millwall would be signing a player who remains vastly unproven in English football, but does have some eye-catching campaigns under his belt in Austrian football, as well as from his earlier days in Scottish football with Hearts.

Then there's the inescapable fact that he'd be joining from their most fierce rivals, and so he could have a hard time winning over some Millwall fans as a result, such is the level of dislike between the two sets of supporters.

So, Millwall could find a more proven performer for £3.5m, but the unknown quantity with Irving and the possible untapped potential for him to become a top player could prove too enticing for the Lions to turn down.