MILLWALL boss Gary Rowett has admitted the transfer window is slow-moving as the Lions run out of time to bolster their squad this season.
Millwall have until Friday week to add to the signings of Ryan Woods, Mason Bennett, Troy Parrott and Scott Malone in the summer.
Rowett wants another attacker with Parrott set to be out until around mid-November.
Millwall have been linked with moves for Liverpool striker Liam Millar and Tranmere winger Corey Blackett-Taylor. Rowett previously told NewsAtDen he has “good links to Liverpool”.
The £2.5million and £1.5million wage caps in League One and League Two mean fewer clubs there can afford to sign players from Championship teams, with the knock-on effect that a club like Millwall can’t free up space in their squad. Add to that the financial impact on clubs’ transfer budgets with no match-day income.
The Lions would like to move on Jiri Skalak as he is currently well out of the first-team frame. The News in Portsmouth has claimed Pompey want to bring Ben Thompson back to Fratton Park after a previous successful loan spell.
The returns of Parrott and midfielder Billy Mitchell next month will add two more players to a relatively light squad.
Rowett was asked how he predicts the final week of the window going.
“I see it being slow because everybody is struggling to move players on,” Rowett said. “And because clubs are struggling to move players on no one wants to let players out.
“It’s made the market a little bit of a stalemate. So as much as I’d anticipate wanting to do little bits I think it’s very difficult to do that.
“That’s how I see this market at this particular point in time.”
Meanwhile, Rowett has reiterated that the club are being patient in the process of appointing a new head of recruitment. Alex Aldridge left in August to take on the same role at Stoke City.
“We want to take our time,” Rowett said. “It was very unfortunate timing for us to lose our head of recruitment in the middle of a transfer window.
“But what I think is very difficult to do is to get someone in instantly who’s the right long-term fit for what we’re planning to do. And for the new person to be able to jump straight into what we want as a team, it doesn’t work like that. It takes a while to build up that understanding.
“It’s something that we’re looking at. We probably won’t rush into it this window because I don’t think there’s much point. It will be the next window when we might do that.”
Image: Millwall FC