Millwall could look to Huddersfield Town for alternative to Birmingham City, Wrexham target: View | OneFootball

The Welsh international looks set to leave the John Smith's Stadium this summer, and the Lions should capitalise

Highlights

Neil Harris got great usage out of Hull City loanee Ryan Longman in the previous campaign, with the forward forcing himself into the Lions’ starting lineup after a series of fine displays.

While the 23-year-old wasn’t always first-choice for the Bermondsey outfit at the start of the season, he had managed to earn himself a regular spot in the side by the end of the campaign, as he started all six of his side’s final fixtures.

It was no surprise that Harris’ side emerged victorious in five of those matches, with Longman proving his worth in impressive wins over the likes of Leicester City during his final few weeks at the club.

Though the attacker has returned to the Tigers this summer, there has been talk of a permanent move to The Den but the South Londoners face competition. Birmingham City and Wrexham have both been linked, which may have the Lions assessing alternatives and Huddersfield Town could be a good place to look.

Sorba Thomas could be ideal Ryan Longman replacement for Millwall

Despite dropping down from the Championship with the Terriers in the previous campaign, the performances of Sorba Thomas continued to catch the eye at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Whether he was terrorising defenders with his trickery on the flanks, or putting the most wicked of dead ball deliveries into the penalty area with devastating regularity, the former Boreham Wood player has proven he is a step above League One level.

With that in mind, Millwall should be looking to put in a bid for the Welsh international this summer and steal a march on their divisional rivals in the meantime.

You only have to look at Thomas’ stats in the previous campaign to realise just how threatening the wide man can be, and given the right teammates around him, there could be no limits to his genius.

The 24-year-old netted four times and assisted nine more goals during the previous season, with his deliveries from free-kicks and corners contributing towards centre-back Michal Helik being Town’s top scorer with nine league goals.

Only Ipswich Town’s star Leif Davis (125) produced more key passes than Thomas’ 123 over the past 12 months in the second tier, while no player could match his 474 crosses during the Championship campaign.

That sort of statistic could play right into Harris’ hands for the upcoming campaign, with the Lions registering 15 goals from set-piece situations in the 23/24 campaign, a figure only bettered by three teams in the division.

Millwall will face European interest for Sorba Thomas

One stumbling block in terms of luring Thomas to the club will be the interest already shown in him this summer, with Ligue 1 side Nantes said to be eying up a move for the wide man.

That was reported by The Sun journalist Alan Nixon earlier this month, with the French side said to have tabled a £1 million bid for the former non-league talent, as they try to lure him across the Channel in the coming weeks.

Nixon goes on to say that the Welshman could favour a move to the continent to enhance his reputation, but if a deal could be brokered with Town this summer, Harris could still try to lure the playmaker to the capital.

Other reports, however, suggest that Thomas could be available for a six-figure fee, which may be more appealing to the Lions as they tool up for 2024/25.

With the East London outfit only mustering 45 goals in their 46 league matches last time around, there is no doubt in where the issues lie ahead of the upcoming campaign, and with the signing of Macaulay Langstaff, the Lions’ boss has already started to address those issues.

The signing of Thomas would be the cherry on the cake in terms of preparation for the season ahead, and one that would elevate the side after the loss of Longman this summer.