Rotherham United lining up moves for Derby County and Barnsley duo | OneFootball

Rotherham United are reported to be looking to make moves for versatile Derby County man Louie Sibley and Barnsley defender Jordan Williams, in addition to their interest in Sheffield Wednesday pair George Byers and Reece James.

The Millers made a shock decision to part ways with Leam Richardson towards the back end of the 2023/24 season, and went in the direction of bringing in Stevenage manager - and previous boss - Steve Evans instead.

In typical Evans fashion, his side are not messing about in the transfer market. They have been one of the most active teams in the transfer window across the EFL, bringing in some top League One talent for their first season back in the third tier since they were promoted in the 2021/22 campaign.

Rotherham have already secured the signatures of striker Jonson Clarke-Harris, Portsmouth promotion winner Joe Rafferty, and Northampton Town midfielder Sean McWilliams, but they are also set to wave goodbye to star goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, who will join Stoke City in June.

This deal for the Swedish international will give the Millers a bit more breathing room in their spending budget, and four players have been identified as targets.

Rotherham targeting Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Barnsley quartet

Darren Witcoop has reported that United are set to make moves for Byers and James, formerly of Wednesday, Derby's Louie Sibley and Jordan Williams of Barnsley.

The Owls pairing will be released by their club when their contracts expire, with the Sheffield Star already reporting that the Millers were keen on left-back James and midfielder Byers.

New links have emerged to Sibley and Williams though, with the former in talks with Derby over a new contract at Pride Park.

Having come through the Rams' academy system as an attacking midfielder, Sibley has had to move around the pitch for game-time under Paul Warne, eventually settling as a left wing-back towards the end of the season, scoring three goals and notching four League One assists over the course of the campaign.

Former Barnsley captain Williams meanwhile is now a free agent, with his Barnsley exit confirmed earlier in the month - the 24-year-old played 52 times in all competitions this past season, mainly on the right-hand side of a back three for the Tykes, and he appears to be on Evans' radar.

Rotherham targets could present them with the same problem

The likes of Norwich City and Fulham were once labelled as yo-yo teams between the Championship and the Premier League, although those statuses have changed quite quickly.

That phrase has been heavily associated with the Millers too, bouncing between the second and third tier a lot over the past eight or so years.

One way or another, they need to get themselves out of this cycle. These players that they are being linked with, and have already signed, are certainly good enough for League One, but it's a team that may need to be built on again if promotion comes in order to give themselves the best chance.

Byers played a significant role for Blackpool, where he was on loan for the back-half of the 23/24 season. He also made over 20 Championship appearances for the Owls before moving to the Seasiders in January, so there are reasons for second tier optimism there.

His defensive teammate James, on the other hand, didn't play much for Danny Röhl, but he has got good experience in the third tier.

Sibley has experience in the Championship too. Is it a resume that stands him out as someone that will be ready for the jump up, whether it's through staying with the Rams or potentially with Rotherham? Not massively. But his age is a contributing factor to that, and his development could certainly lead to him being a player of that calibre.

If Rotehrham were able to land even a couple of their new targets, they will be a force to be reckoned with in League One, but the question should then become - Will they be good enough for the second tier? That's the club's goal, so it has to come into the thinking.