Viktor Gyokeres became a prolific striker in the Championship.placeholder image
Viktor Gyokeres became a prolific striker in the Championship. | AFP via Getty Images
A Serie A club has joined Everton and Wolves in pursuit of the Millwall striker.
Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic is becoming embroiled in somewhat of a transfer saga this summer with interest in the 20-year-old’s services coming from the Premier League and abroad.
Everton and Wolves are both in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer and were credited with interest in the Serbian. Over the weekend, Football Insider claimed that Serie A side Parma had now made an official approach to Millwall over a potential transfer.
Ivanovic scored 13 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions last season, having made a £2.8 million move from Serbian side Vojvodina last summer. It was a head turning transition to Championship football which has not gone unnoticed across the continent.
Serie A and Premier League clubs monitor Millwall striker
Given his young age, the sky seems to be the limit for Ivanovic, who will no doubt be licking his lips at the chance to play in the Premier League or Serie A so soon. However, Millwall must work hard to convince the striker to stay at The Den. Both for the Lions’ hopes of a play-off place next term, but for the player’s development too.
Millwall have brought Josh Cobrun into the club on a permanent deal from Middlesbrough this summer but Ivanovic is still guaranteed regular minutes next season. The arrival of Coburn is a benefit to Ivanovic, with less pressure on the goalscoring burden and another young talent to push him to develop.
Speaking about using two strikers in March, Millwall boss Alex Neil told Southwark News: “He’s [Ivanovic] had a great season. Since I’ve come in he’s played a hell of a lot of minutes. Between him and Josh Coburn, both of them have contributed a hell of a lot in terms of their goals, their link-up play and they’re getting better and better as individuals.
“I think what today showed us is, we’ve now got another sort string to our bow where we can put two big lads up top and we can play – not even more direct, I don’t even think we’re all that direct within the game – but what we can do is we can work it and we’ve got an extra option in the box, particularly when they’re six foot plus. So from that perspective it was really pleasing.”
Viktor Gyokeres could inspire Ivanovic career path
Millwall will no doubt have to have conversations with Ivanovic over the growing transfer interest in his services, and could perhaps use Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres as a model to shape their transfer strategy.
Having scored 39 goals in 33 league appearances for Sporting CP last season, Gyokeres is one of the planet’s most in-demand strikers with talk of a €65 million move to Arsenal this summer. Gyokeres became the prolific striker he is today thanks to time with Coventry City in the Championship.
After underwhelming loan spells at Swansea City and then Coventry, Gyoekres joined the latter permanently in 2021. In his first season as a fully fledged Coventry City player, he bagged 17 Championship goals.
That return will have had suitors sniffing around but Gyokeres continued his development in the second tier. The following season, he improved and had 21 goals to his name. Only then did he make the move to Sporting CP and is now a terrifying marksman.
Millwall must point out to Ivanovic that, as Gyokeres proved, there is still plenty to learn in a second Championship season and that rejecting a Premier League move for another campaign in the division could be beneficial for his long term goals. Perhaps one day the talent Serbian will be valued at €65 million, but he must have patience.
In other news, Millwall could hijack Hull City transfer should Everton swoop for Mihailo Ivanovic - opinion.
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