Millwall FC must send scouts to watch Barnsley star and Dion Sanderson, here's why | OneFootball

As the January transfer window approaches, it would be wise for the Lions to do their homework on these two players to spur their play-off push

A positive start to the season for Millwall has seen the club become one of the dark horses for this season's Championship play-offs.

The Lions have picked up where they left off at the end of the 2023/24 season, which saw them win their final five games back-to-back and finish a respectable 13th after a turbulent campaign. They have built on that excellent finish so far this season and given themselves a genuine chance of securing a top-six finish come May.

However, every football club knows the best way to improve on the pitch is to recruit well. Barnsley's Adam Phillips and Birmingham City's Dion Sanderson are two talented players who could do a job at The Den, which is why Neil Harris' side ought to be sending scouts up to Yorkshire and the Midlands in time for the January transfer window.

Adam Phillips would shore up the midfield

Phillips has gone from strength to strength since arriving in South Yorkshire from Burnley two years ago. He showed promise in his first season, where he scored nine goals and eight assists across 35 league games.

The Tykes agonisingly missed out on promotion via the play-offs, with a last-gasp goal from Josh Windass giving local rivals Sheffield Wednesday the bragging rights at Wembley. During the game, Phillips was controversially sent off after a foul on Wednesday's Lee Gregory, a decision which caused a great debate between many in the footballing world.

Although, in Phillips' second season, the club once again fell short in the play-offs, things only got better for him individually. He bagged 11 goals and seven assists, which saw him voted as the Tykes' Player of the Season for 2023/24. This included three goals and four assists in February, which saw him win the League One Player of the Month Award.

His bright start to 2024/25 has once again put Barnsley among the promotion hopefuls. After making his name through loan spells at Cambridge United, Morecambe and Accrington Stanley, Phillips' time at Oakwell has proved he is more than capable of stepping up a division. His prowess in the middle of the park would encourage attacking play whilst also providing an extra bit of cover for the defence.

Sanderson has been a fantastic servant to Blues over the last few years. He spent two loan periods in the Second City before making the switch permanent from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2023. Despite the Blues' sluggishness at the wrong end of the Championship, which ultimately culminated in their relegation to League One last season, Sanderson was a regular in the team.

Things are looking up at St Andrew's for 2024/25 and Birmingham are hotly tipped to make an immediate return to the second tier. However, the club's heavy spending under American businessman Tom Wagner saw the likes of Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies brought in to boost their defensive options.

Sanderson has fallen down the pecking order at the club and will likely be looking for more regular game time when the January window opens while the Second City outfit are thought to be ready to loan him out.

The Lions should therefore look at bringing Sanderson to the capital. He has Championship experience at various clubs and would likely thrive featuring regularly for a side that is looking to push up the table.

With Birmingham's lucrative transfer budget essentially pricing him out of regular playing time this season, a move back into a league he is familiar with would give Millwall that extra bit of defensive depth heading into a period of the season where keeping goals out is just as important as putting them in.