Fresh Millwall, Hull City deal could happen this summer after Neil Harris claim: View | OneFootball

Millwall boss Neil Harris could look to re-sign Hull City loanee Ryan Longman after a successful loan spell at The Den this season.

Harris, who rejoined the club for a fourth time in February, has expressed a desire for the club to sign 'Millwall-like' players this summer, with Longman featuring regularly since his arrival.

The 23-year-old winger joined on a season-long loan from Hull City last September, after failing to feature in any of the Tigers' first four games, and has since played 34 times for Millwall this season - scoring and assisting three goals each.

The Lions have seen an upturn in form since Harris returned to The Den's dugout, and Longman has played an integral part in the resurgence that has pulled them safely away from the Championship relegation spots into 16th place.

Longman has played in all 11 of Harris' games so far, starting six of those and netting a stunning winner against league leaders Leicester City, scoring against Rotherham United, and also picking up two assists in his last two outings against Cardiff City and Sunderland.

He has only improved as the season has progressed, and is clearly enjoying his football under Harris, so with his contract up with Hull in the summer of 2025 and Liam Rosenior likely to deem him surplus to requirements at the KCOM Stadium - Longman could be snapped up by the Lions this summer for a cut-price.

Harris wants Millwall DNA

If there was ever a man to understand what it takes to play for Millwall - it is Neil Harris.

Between 1997-2005 and 2006-2011, he made 432 appearances for the club as a player, scoring 138 goals and becoming a club legend in the process, before returning permanently as a manager from 2015 to 2019.

He returned again earlier this year to steady the ship at The Den, signing a deal until 2025, and his appointment has paid dividends by getting the players and fans on side and steering the club to safety this season.

Ahead of the summer window, he spoke to the South London Press about the need for new signings to understand the club and what it takes to put on a Millwall shirt.

"(At) this football club in particular you, one, need stability and, two, you need Millwall-like players," said the 46-year-old.

“You still have to have the Millwall basics in the changing room. You need to have that leadership. Leadership at Millwall is not just being loud and demanding.

"It is about understanding what the fans want to see on the pitch and how you approach certain moments on the pitch."

Longman has certainly demonstrated that he has what it takes for Millwall in recent weeks - so there is every possibility that the club explore a deal to bring him back permanently for next season.

If Harris does want the winger to make The Den his long-term home, there is every possibility that Hull City are happy to make it a reality.

Despite playing 37 games in the 2022/23 season for Hull, Longman did not figure at all at the beginning of this campaign and was allowed to leave in search of game time.

The Tigers instead signed left-wingers Jaden Philogene (permanent, £5m) and Anass Zaroury (loan) from Aston Villa and Burnley respectively, and are likely to dip back into the loan market again this summer for a back-up to Philogene.

That is, if the tricky winger does not leave the club for a sizeable fee, which would then likely see another big-money signing come in to replace him.

The upshot is that Longman is unlikely to have a future in East Yorkshire, and with a year left on his contract, Hull will want to cash in on a player that transfermarkt currently value at €2,000,000.

Whether Millwall are willing to spend that much on Longman is unknown, but if Neil Harris is after a man that already knows the club and is beginning to find his feet, then the 23-year-old could well find himself back in South London for pre-season in the summer.