Wolves interest could spell trouble for Millwall | OneFootball

Wolves are interested in Millwall defender Japhet Tanganga. If Tanganga departs the Den it could spell trouble for the Lions' season.

Millwall have endured something of an up and down season so far in 2024/25.

A nine-match unbeaten run spanning October and November, including back-to-back wins over Burnley and Leeds, had them inside the play-offs. However, since then, they’ve lacked consistency and have slipped back down into mid-table.

Club legend Neil Harris resigned as manager at the start of December, with Alex Neil the new incumbent.

One constant for the Lions so far this campaign has been their outstanding defensive record. They have conceded just 23 goals all season, a record that can only be bettered by six other teams, who currently all sit within the division’s top seven.

Japhet Tanganga has been central to that excellent defensive record, but with the former Tottenham defender now attracting the interest of Premier League Wolves, according to the Daily Express, alarm bells should be ringing at the Den.

Tanganga would be a massive loss for Neil’s men and taking him out of their defence could spell trouble for Millwall.

Japhet Tanganga has been superb for Millwall in 2024/25

Most of the headlines at the Den in the first half of this campaign have concerned young midfielder Romain Esse.

The Millwall academy product is the jewel in the Lions’ crown at present, and he is already catching the eye of clubs like Crystal Palace, as per the London Evening Standard, having already notched four Championship goals and scored his first England Under 20s goal this season.

For all of Esse’s star quality, the performances of Tanganga have been equally impressive and vital to what Millwall are about as a side.

The 25-year-old has missed just two league games all season and has played every single minute when he has been available, becoming an integral part of a defence that has already kept nine clean sheets in the second tier this term.

According to the Daily Express, Wolves are lining up a bid to bring Tanganga back to the Premier League in January.

The defender has already made 27 Premier League appearances, having featured for his boyhood club Spurs, and has experience in all three major European club competitions, despite being just 25.

RB Leipzig and Leeds are also thought to be interested in the centre-back, but Tanganga is said to be more interested in a move back to the Premier League.

If Tanganga is to move on from Millwall in January, it’s a move that his performances have more than deserved.

He’s been consistently superb since making his loan switch to Bermondsey a permanent one in the summer, and he’s become one of the Championship’s most reliable defenders.

Keeping Tanganga at the Den beyond the end of the month has to be a priority for Millwall.

Although the Lions are currently sat 14th, they are just seven points clear of the relegation zone and it’s definitely not out of the question that they could be dragged into what is shaping up to be a mammoth relegation battle in the Championship.

Seven teams are currently separated by just five points, from Cardiff City in 23rd up to Oxford United in 17th. Stretch that a little further and Millwall are part of another group of three teams who are currently within seven points of the dreaded dotted line.

For all of their defensive strengths, the Lions have struggled badly in front of goal this season. Their tally of 24 league goals is the division’s joint-lowest along with Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle (who currently sit bottom of the table).

Duncan Watmore is the only man to have surpassed five league goals for the Lions, with Macaulay Langstaff, Tom Bradshaw and Mihailo Ivanovic all struggling to find the back of the net.

At present, Millwall’s defensive exploits look like being enough to keep them in the division at the very least. However, take Tanganga out of that unit and their backline could potentially start to falter. And, given that it looks unlikely that their goalscoring will improve any time soon, the Lions really cannot afford to have their standards slip at the back.

Almost all of their games this season have been decided by extremely fine margins one way or the other. Of their 25 league games so far, only 2 have been won or lost by more than a one-goal margin. In addition, 11 of Millwall's 25 games have finished with a 1-0 scoreline one way or the other.

Losing a player as important as Tanganga is could very easily see those fine margins start to tip against Alex Neil’s side, and if they do, they could well lack the firepower to keep themselves clear of that relegation scrap.