Football League World

Highlights

Former Burnley player Wilson Odobert has a bright future according to Scott Parker.

Despite Odobert's departure, Parker sees the talent in him and believes he will succeed in the Premier League with Spurs.

Burnley are facing a challenge in keeping some of the club's top players this summer.

Burnley manager Scott Parker has predicted that Wilson Odobert, who recently left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur, will have a "bright future" in football.

The man who got the Clarets' return Championship campaign underway with their first goal departed the club shortly before their second league game of the season.

It was reported on Friday morning by Sacha Tavolieri that Odobert was nearing a move to Spurs. That switch was confirmed later that day, with Tottenham reportedly paying £25 million for the 19-year-old.

Premier League newbies Ipswich Town had been previously reported to be interested in the Frenchman, but they ended up missing out on him.

Based off the events of Burnley's game against Luton Town, Odobert was likely to have an outstanding season in the second tier.

Despite the fact that his now former boss had only worked with him for a number of weeks before he left, and that he has already played one season in the top flight of English football in which he racked up five combined goals and assists, Parker sees the recent Turf Moor departee as having a bright career ahead of him at that level.

Scott Parker's Wilson Odobert predictions

The Burnley boss didn't want to see the teenager leave, but he believes that what the attacking midfielder showed during their time together were signs of a potentially top player in the future.

He said, via the Burnley Express: "It’s a shame to see Wilson go. He’s obviously a top talent that has been nurtured and brought through here, [but] an opportunity for Wilson at Spurs is an incredible opportunity.

"I spent four weeks working with Wilson and I saw every bit of his quality every day, he was a credit in terms of his professionalism and his quality. Everything about him was superb and everybody at the football club wishes him nothing but all the very best at what is a top club, I understand that.

"We have no doubt he has a real bright future ahead."

Odobert may not be the only star of Parker's to leave the club before the end of the summer. Dara O'Shea has been linked with a move to Brentford, and has now become a target for the Frenchman's former suitors: Ipswich, as per Alan Nixon.

There's a chance that Sander Berge could leave too, with Manchester United retaining an interest in him. Parker admitted that, as a manager, there is always a worry about losing your top players, but that it's not something that is heavily occupying his thoughts.

Burnley's squad problem

Because of the quality of the team, and the league that they now find themselves in, the Clarets are vulnerable to transfer attacks. What also doesn't help is the number of players they have, in two senses.

Firstly, the sheer number of squad members that they have means that offloading some options before the end of the window is logical. Unfortunately the ones that people want aren't the ones that Burnley are happy to sell, which brings us to the second part of this equation.

Even though they have plenty of depth, it's not like they have like-for-like replacements at most positions. A lot of the players they have aren't of the calibre of Odobert, O'Shea or Berge. So the size of their playing staff isn't actually that helpful in this situation because they won't easily be able to plug any gaps left by those who might leave.

Sheffield Wednesday are eyeing up Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alfie Devine with a view to a securing a potential loan deal, after a £3 million offer was made by Brondby of Denmark for alternative transfer target Gustavo Puerta.

The Owls could make a move for Devine, who is also attracting interest from other clubs in the Championship, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon account.

Their interest in the 20-year-old has emerged amid news that Brondby, who finished second in the Danish top flight last season, have made a bid of £3 million for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Puerta, who has been a long-term target of Wednesday and Hull City, as per Nixon's report.

Following Brondby's bid, it is unlikely that the 21-year-old Colombian will make a move to the Championship this summer, as he was targeted on loan.

It now seems as though both Yorkshire clubs have turned their attention towards alternative targets, with the Owls exploring the possibility of signing Devine on loan and Hull registering an interest in Blackburn Rovers midfielder Lewis Travis, who is also available for a fee in the region of £3 million.

Sheffield Wednesday could make a move for Alfie Devine before transfer deadline

Tottenham youngster Devine went out on loan for the first time last summer, signing for Port Vale in League One ahead of the 2023/24 season.

His performances in the third tier were enough to convince Championship side Plymouth Argyle to sign him on a temporary basis for the second half of the campaign.

He helped the Pilgrims preserve their second tier status, while Port Vale suffered relegation to League Two in his absence, after he was recalled by Spurs to make the step-up into the Championship with Plymouth.

Devine is highly-rated at Spurs, and has represented England's youth teams on many occasions, currently being a part of their under-20s side.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has already brought in youngsters Charlie McNeill from Manchester United on a permanent basis and James Beadle on loan from Brighton this summer, and Devine could be the next promising player to develop his game under the talented head coach.

Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City look to have missed out on Gustavo Puerta

Gustavo Puerta was on the radar of Sheffield Wednesday, Hull and Blackburn this summer, but it looks like he is now more likely to join Brondby instead.

The 21-year-old made seven appearances in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen during their historic title-winning campaign last season, as well as featuring three times in the UEFA Europa League as the German side reached the final.

Rohl is, of course, no stranger to German football, and was seemingly very keen on Puerta, but it looks like he has missed out on his target.

The 35-year-old will hope to bring in another player who can add quality to his midfield department, and in Devine, he could sign a talented youngster who can be developed into the player he is looking for this season.

Highlights

Burnley made a key sale, Odobert to Tottenham, reflecting strategy shift post-relegation.

Odobert's talent was highlighted during his standout performance against Luton.

Balance is needed in the squad, potential for more exits before transfer window closes.

Burnley made their second big sale of the summer yesterday, with Wilson Odobert sealing a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Clarets haven't sold many key players this summer, something that may not come as a surprise to some people, considering they were poor for a decent chunk of the 2023/24 campaign and were relegated from the Premier League at the end of that season.

However, they have some valuable assets in their squad, even after the sale of Odobert to Spurs.

James Trafford, who remains the subject of interest from Newcastle United, is someone who could potentially move on before the summer transfer window closes.

Sander Berge is also attracting interest from the Premier League, with Manchester United thought to have retained an interest in the Norwegian midfielder.

But the only key man who has departed, other than Odobert, is Ipswich Town summer signing Arijanet Muric.

Tottenham's new signing Wilson Odobert is a huge talent

Odobert has sealed a move to the English capital in a £25m deal, according to the BBC.

The Clarets' fanbase will be sad to lose him, especially for that modest amount, but his exit doesn't come as a surprise for a couple of key reasons.

Firstly, the Frenchman lit up Kenilworth Road on Monday, with Scott Parker's side taking on Luton Town away from home.

Odobert reinforced his brilliance and potential in Bedfordshire, with his electric pace, technical ability and creativity causing the Hatters plenty of issues.

He was heavily involved against one of the Clarets' potential promotion rivals - and was one of the best players on the pitch despite the fact he's only 19.

His goal was a particularly brilliant moment for him.

Latching on to a ball from Connor Roberts, he managed to control the ball well before using his terrifying pace to create a one-on-one situation before slotting the ball past Thomas Kaminski.

His finish was arguably just as impressive as his speed, with his composure coming at an important time in the game.

The visitors were only 1-0 up at the time and with less than 10 minutes to go until the break, his goal was so important.

And with his potential, versatility, attributes and the fact he impressed in front of the TV cameras earlier this week, it's no surprise that the 19-year-old has been snapped up.

The summer 2022 window saw several players depart Turf Moor following their relegation, with Nick Pope, Nathan Collins, Dwight McNeil and Max Cornet all sealing English top-tier returns.

With this in mind and the fact the Clarets had only made one key sale before Odobert's departure during the current window, it's no shock that the Lancashire side have cashed in on the teenager.

It's not as if they have restricted themselves to using the free agent and loan markets this summer either, with the club paying transfer fees to bring in Maxime Esteve, Mike Tresor (both had permanent options triggered), Lucas Pires, Andreas Hountondji and Etienne Green.

With this in mind, balancing the books by cashing in Odobert may not be the worst decision, although fans may have wanted to see fringe players offloaded first.

The squad is still too big at this point - another reason why it's no surprise to see the Frenchman go.

It could be argued that Odobert should have been retained with fellow attacking midfielder Scott Twine also leaving the club - and that players in other areas should have been offloaded. The centre-back department looks particularly crowded at the moment.

But Parker's side have plenty of other players who can contribute in the final third, including some of those who may now get more of a chance to shine after the 19-year-old's departure.

And Parker could potentially bring in a replacement for Odobert if he wants to, by either using the loan market or some of the money generated from the teenager's sale to recruit a permanent addition.

Highlights

Burnley fans devastated as talent Wilson Odobert moves to Tottenham - yet expected his exit from club.

Odobert's skills and potential recognised as he makes Premier League move, fans hope he thrives at Spurs.

Despite Odobert's departure, Burnley may not need direct replacement, can reinvest fee wisely in other areas.

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…

Burnley have been handed a significant blow following Wilson Odobert's transfer to Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur.

The update was first called by Sacha Tavolieri on X before an official announcement from both clubs, with Spurs confirming that Odobert has since penned a five-year contract in North London.

Burnley are set to receive £25m upfront along with a potential further £5m in add-on clauses for Odobert, who had only made the move to Turf Moor twelve months prior in an initial €12 million (£10.2m) switch from Troyes. An impressive performer in spite of the Claret's disappointing top-flight campaign last time out, Odobert was among the scorers as Scott Parker's side claimed an emphatic 4-1 victory at Luton Town on Monday evening.

Burnley verdict given on Wilson Odobert's Tottenham Hotspur transfer

It should come as no surprise that Odobert has left in the first place, but Burnley supporters are still rightly devastated to see such an exciting and high-quality young player depart the club.

"Can I say I'm happy that he's leaving? No. Can I say it's expected? Yes. I think we were all very optimistic in hoping he would stay for the Championship season," explained Football League World's resident Burnley fan pundit Ben Livingstone.

"He's way too good for this league. As a Burnley fan I was hoping we would be able to keep him just for one season to get us out of this league but I'm not surprised in any stretch he's made this move to a club like Tottenham. He's quality.

"He's up there with some of the best young talents in this country and his ceiling is only going to get higher and higher and he's going to keep smashing through the ceiling. You saw against Luton on Monday the type of player he is. he's direct, good with his feet, quick, aggressive, can finish, he's clever with his running, he's smart and knows how to press, he's got a good footballing brain.

"I did think he would definitely be our best player in the Championship. I thought he might have even gone on to be top goalscorer in the Championship, and from a Tottenham point of view he's the perfect signing.

"He's that sort of Ange Postecogolou player, he's good with the press, he's quick and direct and I just hope he's not one of these signings who goes and sits and learns on the bench for a season. I want to see him play, I think he's got more than enough ability to start in that Tottenham squad, I really really do.

"To learn off players like [Heung-Min] Son, Richarlison and all of them amazing players at Tottenham and get himself on that stature in the Premier League is a good move for him. From a Wilson Odobert point of view, it's a great move. I wish him all the best.

"From a Burnley point of view, I'm absolutely gutted. I'm happy for Wilson and he deserves the chance, gutted for our team. But there is still time to reinvest and bring players in.

"But we've also got pretty decent depth in attack, so it's not the end of the world. I just really wanted us to keep this really exciting player because he gets bums off seats. So all the best to Wilson for the season."

Burnley do not need to directly replace Wilson Odobert

Although Odobert is a tremendous talent whose absence will be sorely missed at the club, Ben raises an interesting discussion point pertaining to Burnley's plethora of wide options and that should mean the transfer fee is reinvested in other areas of the pitch instead.

Luca Koleosho and Anass Zaroury both possess the talent to light up the Championship - as the latter did during their 22/23 title-winning campaign, of course - while more experienced, perhaps less flashy options such as Nathan Redmond and Johan Berg Gudmundsson can still impact the division more than most wingers.

Another winger perhaps wouldn't go amiss, but sourcing a direct replacement doesn't necessarily appear to be an absolute priority at this stage.

Burnley

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Sheffield Wednesday are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine this summer.

According to The Star, the Owls are not finished with their transfer plans, with two weeks still remaining in the current market.

Danny Rohl is keen to bolster his side, with the club targeting an improvement on their 20th place finish in the table last year.

The German head coach has earned a lot of plaudits for his work at the Yorkshire outfit since taking over late last year.

He oversaw a remarkable escape from relegation to League One, with the club being cut adrift at the bottom of the table when he took over in October 2023.

Sheffield Wednesday eye Alfie Devine

Devine could become the latest signing made by Sheffield Wednesday this summer, with the club looking to make space in the squad in order to sign him.

The 20-year-old was included in the Spurs first team squad during pre-season, but it is understood that they are open to sending him out on loan for this campaign.

The Owls are currently looking to offload players before pursuing any other signings, with Mallik Wilks the latest to depart.

Devine already has Championship experience under his belt, having spent the second half of last season on loan with Plymouth Argyle.

The youngster made 15 appearances in the league for the Pilgrims, including 14 starts, contributing two assists (all stats from Fbref).

The midfielder also spent the first half of the previous campaign on loan, playing in League One with Port Vale.

He made 20 appearances in the third tier, registering two goals and one assist before making the switch to Home Park in January.

While Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly targeting a number of signings before the market shuts, Devine is believed to be a concrete target for Rohl’s side.

Sheffield Wednesday’s 2024 summer transfer activity

It has been a very busy summer transfer window for Sheffield Wednesday so far.

Iké Ugbo has signed on a permanent basis after spending a stint on loan with the team in the second half of the previous term.

Olaf Kobacki, Yan Valery, Max Lowe, Jamal Lowe and Nathaniel Chalobah are among the other permanent signings, with James Beadle signing on loan from Brighton.

Sheffield Wednesday have added 10 fresh faces in total, as they look to become an even more competitive Championship side than last year.

Up next for Rohl’s side is a trip to face Sunderland on Sunday.

Devine could be a very exciting signing for Sheffield Wednesday

Devine joined a Plymouth side that struggled a lot in the second half of last season after Steven Schumacher departed for Stoke City.

But he is a very highly rated young prospect at Spurs, has been capped at U20 level for England, and did well under the circumstances last year at the Pilgrims.

Working under Rohl would be an exciting prospect for the 20-year-old given the excellent work he has done since taking over at Hillsborough.

If the Owls can get this deal over the line then it could prove a very smart bit of business to bolster their midfield options.

Highlights

Jamie Donley is set to join Leyton Orient on loan, despite interest from Birmingham City, Luton Town, and Oxford United.

The talented 19-year-old attacker's impressive stats show his natural attacking ability, with 20 goals and assists in the previous season.

The Orient move makes sense for Donley's development, offering him more playing time and a familiar environment close to his parent club.

Leyton Orient are set to sign Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley on loan, amid reported interest from the likes of Birmingham City, Luton Town and Oxford United.

The 19-year-old attacker, who has been deployed as a left-back in Ange Postecoglu's Spurs side in pre-season, is going to join Richie Wellens' side on a temporary basis, according to Darren Witcoop.

Donley featured in five of his parent side's pre-season match-ups, racking up two assists in the process while playing way out of position. His numbers from the 2023/24 Premier League 2 campaign display how natural an attacking mind he has, with 20 combined goals and assists in as many appearances.

Leyton Orient to win race for Jamie Donley

Witcoop has stated that the teenager will be heading to the Orient, who have beaten off some strong competition to get his signature.

Their reported interest in the player stems back to last November, when TEAMtalk linked them and Charlton Athletic with Donley.

Since then, other EFL sides have also been named as prospective suitors, including Luton Town and Oxford United.

Birmingham looked like they could be the ones who acquired Donley for the season. Tom Barclay reported that their boss Chris Davies - former assistant to Postecoglu at Spurs - wanted to reunite with the youngster and bring him to St Andrew's.

The Blues' boss worked with the attacking midfielder during his time as the Aussie manager's right-hand man. This pre-established connection between the two could have been a big pulling factor for the 19-year-old.

At the time of Barclay's report, the north London side hadn't made a decision on Donley's future, but they, or the player himself, have seemingly chosen Wellens over the familiarity of Davies.

This will be the player's first ever loan move of his career, but his use by Postecoglu in pre-season displays the faith that Tottenham have in him. Witcoop has said that Donley will be one of a number of Spurs youngsters that will temporarily leave the club to join EFL sides this summer.

Donley will be the second Tottenham youth to go out on loan, after Oxford confirmed the season-long signing of Dane Scarlett on Monday evening.

Leyton Orient move makes sense for Donley

A player going out on loan for the first time can be a daunting experience. It's a totally different environment to the years of academy football that they would have experienced up to that point. Sending them somewhere closer to home makes life all the more easy.

With a nearby loan move, he will be able to remain where he is living and be close to his parent club.

There are also the footballing factors. At Birmingham, there's a chance, with the talent that they have, that Donley wouldn't get to play as much as he or Spurs would hope.

Sunderland are reportedly taking a keen interest in Tottenham Hotspur striker Dane Scarlett.

That's according to an exclusive report on Monday morning from journalist Michael Graham via Sunderland Nation, which reveals that the Black Cats are plotting a loan move for the highly-rated forward.

Scarlett, 20, is no stranger to the Championship nor the EFL for that matter, having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Portsmouth in League One, prior to spending the first half of last season on loan with Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town,

The England youth international is a graduate of Spurs' academy system, and has made 17 first team appearances for the club.

Sunderland eyeing Scarlett swoop

The Black Cats made a winning start to their Championship season over the weekend with a 2-0 away win over Cardiff City, and the feel good factor around the club could be about to crank up another notch too.

That's because Graham's exclusive Monday report states that Sunderland hold a 'significant interest' in Scarlett, and is now the preferred option to fellow Spurs academy graduate Will Lankshear due to his greater experience at senior level.

Still regarded as a bright prospect for the future, it appears that a temporary move to the Stadium of Light would be all that the North London outfit would be willing to commission at this stage.

Graham comments that Scarlett's signing wouldn't put an end to Sunderland making further additions in the striking department either, with him being a compliment to the arrival of a more experienced centre-forward this summer.

SM Caen striker Alexandre Mendy has reportedly decided that Sunderland is where he wants to be playing his football for the foreseeable future, but as of yet, the two clubs have not been able to come to an agreement on a deal.

The Black Cats have found major success when going to the Spurs well for young talent in recent years, with Jack Clarke, Dennis Cirkin and Romaine Mundle all being on the books of the Premier League side prior to making the move to the North East.

Scarlett could solve Sunderland's striker problem

Le Bris has inherited a Sunderland squad that is littered with talented players, and has the look of a unit that could compete with the very best in the Championship this season.

But, if they do indeed intend to be among the promotion contenders coming into the home straight of the campaign, then an Achilles heel may well need to be addressed before dreams of a Premier League return can turn into concrete belief.

That's because what the Black Cats lacked in their squad last season was the presence of a true goal-scoring number nine, as the Wearsiders haven't yet replaced the goals of Ross Stewart.

Rather, they found themselves perhaps over-reliant on the form of Clarke in front of goal last season, with his 15 strikes being comfortably ahead of the next highest scorer last year, which was Jobe Bellingham's seven.

Indeed, Nazariy Rusyn's two league goals was the highest among Sunderland's crop of strikers last term, putting into perspective the need for strong additions in that department this summer.

Black Cats supporters won't want to see a strong squad being held back by a lack of cutting edge through the middle of the park once again this year, but if Scarlett could replicate his form from youth team football into the senior game, that would no longer be an issue.

As an indication of the talent he possesses, former Spurs manager José Mourinho said of Scarlett in 2021: "Dane has incredible talent. I don't want to speak too much because tomorrow I arrive in the building and the kid's boss is going to kill me. I don't want that so I don't want to speak too well about him.

"I just want to say that he will be 17 next month and I want him to be part of the first team squad next season. So this season he is there and here, goes to training sessions with us and matches with the kids of his age and trains there.

"Next season he has to be a first team player. Immense talent. Very good physical development. He's very good, he's going to be very good. I hope that nothing is going to destroy that potential. He must have feet on the ground and head on his shoulders because he has a fantastic talent."

Highlights

Birmingham City, led by manager Chris Davies, are pursuing Tottenham's young talent Jamie Donley for a loan deal.

City has stacked their squad with Championship-level players despite being in League One, with a budget of £20 million.

Donley's potential move is supported by Davies' past connection with him and an impressive performance record at Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley is a target of Birmingham City, as manager Chris Davies tries to use his Spurs connections to get the deal done.

The 19-year-old who has been used at left-back in pre-season is wanted by Birmingham, according to Tom Barclay, who has called the League One side's attempt to bring in the player on loan as "ambitious."

That part of the pitch is a position that City aren't exactly short on. Not long ago, they announced the signing of Hearts' left-sided defender Alex Cochrane for a reported £1.3 million. They also have the likes of Emmanuel Longelo and Josh Williams, who can be used in that left-defensive role too.

It's been a summer of changes and overhauls following the Blues' relegation to League One, and they have a humongous warchest of riches to be able to buff out their already ludicrous squad.

£20 million was the reported budget that first-time manager Chris Davies has been given to work with. He joined Birmingham from Tottenham, succeeding Tony Mowbray after he officially left his position as boss of the club.

Davies has a strong coaching pedigree, and he's seemingly trying to use his connections at the highest level, as well as the ridiculous funds at his disposal, to improve this City side.

Birmingham pursue Tottenham's Jamie Donley

Donley is a reported target of a majority of the sides in the Championship and League One, according to Barclay. One of the those going after him is City, whom he has a slight connection with due to their boss.

Davies worked with the teenager during his time as Ange Postecolgu's right-hand man in north London.

Tottenham haven't decided what they are going to do with Donley yet, but the existing relationship that the Birmingham manager already has with the player and his parent club should hugely increase their chances of acquiring the bright talent.

In last season's Premier League 2 campaign, Donley, who has also been used in central midfield and as a number 10 in Spurs' recent pre-season friendlies, as well as at left-back, racked up a combined 20 goals and assists, helping Tottenham's under-21s side to win the youth competition.

He has already made three appearances in the Premier League, albeit they were all very brief ones at the end of games against Manchester City, Newcastle United and Brentford.

Birmingham are building a League One God squad

The amount of talent that the manager has at his disposal, with just less than a month to go until the deadline, is just insane. There may have never been a third tier team in history that is quite as stacked as this one.

They already had Championship-level players from the squad that got relegated. They've then added more options that are of a second tier standard, like Ryan Allsop.

Just to add to the devastation that they are about to cause, Birmingham then brought in two of the best players from last season's League One campaign: the top scorer, Alfie May, and one of the best loanees, Marc Leonard, on a permanent deal.

They've pushed all their chips into the middle of the table. Even if that doesn't work, and they don't get promoted at the first time of asking, they'll just go and buy some more and go again. Just bonkers stuff, really.

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 fans would have been on cloud nine this summer after former loanee Japhet Tanganga rejoined the club on a permanent transfer.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate left the Premier League side to come back to the Lions, after playing a massive part in the Bermondsey outfit’s turnaround in the second-half of the last campaign.

The 25-year-old featured 18 times under Neil Harris during the Championship run-in, and helped keep a tight ship at the back for his temporary side, as well as popping up with major contributions at the other end of the pitch.

With that in mind, Football League World’s Millwall fan pundit Chris Chapman is delighted to see the defender back at The Den for the long-haul, after the defender tied his future down to the club at the beginning of the month.

Millwall make statement of intent with Japhet Tanganga signing

The fact that Millwall are said to have seen off competition from recently relegated Luton Town (as per the Sky Sports Transfer Centre, 07.06.24, 14:43) for Tanganga’s signature this summer speaks volumes for how mutual the love is between player and club.

Having been on the periphery for much of his time with Spurs, the defender found himself a home and a fanbase that took him under their wing in East London, as he contributed to a strong finish to the season at The Den.

Five straight victories to end the season shows just how strong the Lions were as the campaign came to a close, with Tanganga contributing towards four clean sheets in that spell as his partnership with Jake Cooper continued to evolve.

And with the defensive duo getting the chance to link up again in the season to come, Chapman - who runs the YouTube channel Chat with Chaps - is looking forward to that resilient backline being fielded once again, and he has also praised chairman James Berylson for pushing the boat out with the finances to bring Tanganga back to South Bermondsey.

The Millwall fan told FLW: “I was absolutely ecstatic when he signed, I hadn’t been that excited about a signing for a long time.

“That’s for a couple of reasons, we’ve had a number of good players come on loan to us over the years, and you think there’s a possibility of signing them permanently - like Charlie Cresswell, like Dan Ballard in recent years.

“They’ve gone on to go to other clubs, and frustratingly we’ve had to look on from afar, and I thought it could be the same with Japhet Tanganga.

“But to get him over the line on a permanent deal is fantastic for the club, and to me it just shows the level of investment they’re prepared to spend, particularly on wages as he was on a free.

“In terms of how good he is, he was outstanding for the last 13 games under Neil Harris.

“He took a bit of time to get into his groove, he hadn’t played a lot of football, and he hasn’t in his career, he’s still only started just over 50 games in his professional career.

“But he’s a good age, we’ve tied him down to a long-term contract, and I think between him and Jake Cooper - as long as they can remain fit - we have a really solid backline, which is what any good Millwall team is built upon.

“So I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do together, and I firmly believe he’s going to be a fans’ favourite, so I’m very excited for the signing, and overall I think it’s fair to say the summer transfer business has been very good so far."

Japhet Tanganga contributes to outstanding Millwall defensive record

Having found the back of the net just 45 times in the previous campaign, it was imperative that Millwall kept a tight ship at the other end to stand any chance of staying in the division.

After being reinstated as Lions boss in February, Harris [pictured] made the most of Tanganga’s presence at the back to keep his side in matches during the run-in, as the East Londoners conceded just nine times once their former boss was back in the dugout.

With just 55 goals conceded across the campaign, Millwall had a better defensive record than runners-up Ipswich Town, which goes to show how well drilled the side are in defensive positions.

As well as that, Tanganga contributed to his side’s prowess from set-pieces in the previous campaign, with only three sides scoring more than their 15 from dead ball scenarios.