“I will tell you” – Alex Neil issues strong warning to Mihailo Ivanovic and Japhet Tanganga suitors

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Millwall boss Alex Neil is doing everything he can to keep his star players at the club.

The Lions pushed for a Championship play-off spot last season but fell just short in the end.

Despite that, several of their star players impressed and have caught the eye of a number of sides around Europe.

Mihailo Ivanovic and Japhet Tanganga are the two attracting the most interest, with Premier League club Wolves told to up the fee on a reported offer for Ivanovic.

However, Neil has goals of his own and handed a strong hands-off warning to anyone who may come in with an offer.

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Alex Neil says Millwall stars will be staying at the club

Everyone wants to keep their best talents and Millwall are no different, with Neil saying that all bids are off the table unless something extraordinary comes in.

He told Southwark News: “I know there’s a lot of speculation, as there always is, whether it be with Japhet or whether it be with Mihailo or whether it be with anybody else.

“We are not actively looking to try and sell anyone. We want to try and retain the squad, and we want to try and grow and build and be good this season. Equally, if somebody comes in with offers that are way beyond what we would maybe have as an evaluation of a player, then certain decisions may well get made.

“What I will tell you is we have no ambitions or certainly no effort is going into trying to move any of our players. We want to keep them here. We like them. We think they’ve got real growth in terms of them individually, but also us as a team. And we want to try and make sure this year is a good year for us.”

Mihailo Ivanovic tipped to become the new ‘Dusan Vlahovic’

Ivanovic had a brilliant first season in English football after signing from Vojvodina, scoring 13 times in all competitions.

Back in his homeland of Serbia, Ivanovic is already earning recognition as the ‘next Dusan Vlahovic’ due to similarities in their style.

Both forwards are strong, physical strikers who like to bully their defenders, but are equally gifted technically.

The Millwall forward has more pace but it’s obvious to see why he is being linked with clubs elsewhere.