Millwall boss makes interesting comments on transfer window – and balancing bargains with signing younger players

Gary Rowett will be in the market for more bargains this summer, but the Millwall manager is also hoping to invest in young players.

The Lions boss has only paid an up-front fee for Derby’s George Evans since he succeeded Neil Harris.

And one of the biggest success stories in the campaign just completed was Scott Malone, who was brought in on loan. Millwall have verbally agreed a permanent contract with the attacking left-sided defender. Malone will be a free agent at the start of July.

“I’ve always maintained in the Championship that there’s sometimes not an awful lot of difference in a free transfer and a £5million player,” said Rowett. “Often it can be a £5m player who has not done very well for a season or two and their value drops. It is about getting them back to the level – if you do that then you have got a £5m player again.

“There are opportunities and bargains to be had. But I don’t think you can do it forever – at some point you have to invest in some young players and ones with more potential. That is the only way you can prolong that success and build longer term, otherwise every season you are relying on every single one of your signings working. You have that churn of players when you want to be adding one or two to keep improving, but not be too big with changes.”