Millwall reaction given to inconsistent West Ham, Andy Irving links - "Don't hate the idea" | OneFootball

Contrasting reports have been offered regarding a switch across London for the Scottish midfielder

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 and West Ham United supporters very rarely see eye-to-eye on anything, with the 'Dockers Derby' known for being one of the most hostile in English football and across Europe as a whole.

Despite the animosity which runs between both fanbases, there are several instances of players who have crossed the divide between the East and South London clubs, with perhaps the most notable example being England international striker Teddy Sheringham, who started his fine career at the Den before winding down his top-flight exploits with the Hammers in the mid-2000s.

And, as the Lions look to make a bid for the Championship play-offs this term under Alex Neil after last campaign's near-miss, yet another name could have made the move from the London Stadium to SE16. However, in recent days, contrasting reports and updates have been reported regarding the immediate future of Andy Irving, who has been sparsely used by the Premier League side in the past two years.

Millwall FC stance offered amid contrasting reports on potentially controversial Andy Irving, West Ham agreement

It was first claimed by Alan Nixon via Patreon that the 25-year-old had emerged as a strong target for Millwall, and that he could be available for a £3.5m sum after the Scot reportedly snubbed an offer from Wrexham due to personal circumstances.

Nixon's report also stated that Irving could move across the capital on loan, before Will Scott of Southwark News swiftly quashed such claims later in the day.

Due to the aforementioned scenario and the rivalry which exists between the two sides, it is a transfer which FLW's Millwall fan pundit, Lucas Ball, is unsure will take place in the window's final days.

"I don't know too much about him to be quite honest," Ball admitted to FLW. "He's obviously not made too many appearances at the top level for them.

"It's a very different scenario, I think, when someone's made a lot of appearances for your big rivals.

"At the end of the day, if he's a player the club are looking to invest in and can either be a really good, long-term option for us, or someone they see high potential in and potential resale value, which it's become for a lot of clubs - not just Millwall - he's obviously someone who I'm not 100 percent sure on," Ball continued.

"We definitely need more options in midfield. Billy Mitchell's out injured again as well. We need another midfielder as well on top of that, and I'm not sure how long Mitchell will be out for - potentially we'll get an update tonight (after the EFL Cup win vs Coventry).

"If the club see something in him (Irving), I don't necessarily hate the idea," he claimed. "He might be on a slightly shorter leash with some fans because of it, which I think is always going to be the case.

"Equally, there's been more reports from sources slightly closer to the club than Alan Nixon who are saying the interest isn't really there in this one.

"It looks like, for now, we'll just be dealing with the Joel Coleman signing. That's one to allow the young keepers, particularly George Evans to move out on loan and get some more gametime under his belt."

Andy Irving deal could have been shrewd, yet controversial for Millwall FC

Although it now looks unlikely that a deal for the one-time international will be pursued, Irving would have added further bite to Millwall's midfield which still requires depth between now and Monday night.

A move to the Championship would have represented a fresh start for the player after just 12 appearances for West Ham since his move from Austria Klagenfurt in the past two seasons, and his ability has also caught the eye of SPFL giants Rangers.

However, if Millwall were to part with the aforementioned sum, then there would be extra pressure on the former Hearts man to deliver consistent performances, and failure to do so would only frustrate supporters given the controversial circumstances surrounding this potential move.

It remains to be seen who the club are to pursue as alternatives, but it is clear that the middle of the park has been a problem position all summer, with it also being reported that Millwall were prepared to offer Sheffield Wednesday captain, Barry Bannan, three times his current wage packet and take advantage of the off-field turmoil at Hillsborough.