Zian Flemming has been the centre of transfer speculation this summer and Millwall head coach Gary Rowett has admitted that the attacker is keen to play in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old made the move to London from Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard last summer for an undisclosed fee and made an instant impact at the Den, scoring 14 goals in the Championship as Rowett’s side finished seventh, missing out on the final playoff spot by a single point.
Flemming was linked with a move to Burnley this summer as Vincent Kompany was keen to bolster his attack ahead of what will be a difficult campaign back in the Premier League but the Clarets’ interest subsided as the club refused to meet Millwall’s £15 million valuation.
However, head coach Rowett has admitted that Flemming does want to play in England’s top-flight, with or without Millwall, hinting that the forward’s head has slightly been turned.
Speaking to the South London Press, the Lions’ boss said [quotes via FootballLeagueWorld]:
“He’s an ambitious footballer who has done well for us and wants to be in the Premier League, with or without us. We have got past that, I think.
“He has settled back down into being that bit more focused. It might take a few more games, but it won’t be long, in my opinion, before we see Zian back to his best.”
Flemming has started every game so far this season for Millwall and will likely be in the first eleven tomorrow when Rowett’s men take to the field against Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Millwall hold all the cards in relation to Flemming’s immediate future. The Ajax academy graduate still has two years left on his contract and so there’s no need for the club to come down from their £15 million valuation to ensure that a deal goes through.
In addition, there is talk that Rowett’s star centre-back Jake Cooper could be on the move this summer and so losing both key players would be far from ideal for the team’s hopes of making a push for promotion to the Premier League.
Leave a Reply