Millwall are set to win the race to sign standout Bradford City midfielder Jenson Metcalfe.
Both teams suffered play-off heartbreak in the play-off semi-finals last season, with the Lions aiming to go one better this time around in their quest to reach the Premier League for the first time.
And our old friend Pete O’Rourke is reporting that Millwall will make the most of the Bantams’ failure to reach the Championship by sniping one of their key assets.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout year in his first campaign at League One level. After a steady start to the season in new surroundings following his transfer from Everton, Metcalfe got a run of starts under his belt at the end of October. His involvement had been hit and miss at the beginning of the season, but the youngster started the back-to-back stalemates against Stevenage and Lincoln City.
From that point onwards, he played in every third-tier encounter as the Bantams sustained their position in the League One’s top six places for the entirety of the campaign. However, their involvement ended at the first hurdle, losing both legs against Bolton Wanderers, who eventually won promotion to the second tier at Wembley against Stockport County. His disciplinary record was called into question at the end of the season, receiving four yellow cards in five matches during the final run of games during the regular campaign.
Metcalfe split his time between central and defensive midfield during his 41 League One appearances for the West Yorkshire side last season. He was also deployed in a central attacking position in a solitary match against Bolton last November. Born in the north-west, the midfielder came through the ranks at Everton, but never made the breakthrough into the Toffees’ first team. A loan move to Chesterfield in 24/25 saw him make 30 League Two appearances as the Spireites also lost in the play-offs.
Interest in Metcalfe first arose during the winter transfer window, with several unnamed second-tier clubs battling for his signature on transfer deadline day. I mentioned at the time that a summer departure would make more sense for Bradford, as it would give them adequate time to find a replacement, while not scuppering their promotion challenge. As it’s transpired, a move so early in this window gives Graham Alexander 10 weeks to find a new holding midfielder for the Bantams.
How Does He Fit In At Millwall?
Metcalfe looks set to be on the move for the second summer in succession, though he will be hoping that another season of play-off heartbreak doesn’t await in East London. Millwall were defeated by Hull City in the Championship’s end-of-season competition, with the Tigers going on to win promotion to the Premier League later in May.
The Lions will look to go one better in the 26/27 campaign, with Metcalfe providing competition in central midfield. Belgian midfielder Casper de Norre enjoyed another good season as a holding midfielder in Milwall’s typical 4-2-3-1 formation, while Billy Mitchell and Derek Mazou-Sacko also featured in that area.
Metcalfe is set to line up with a familiar face to Imps supporters, with former Lincoln goalkeeper Lukas Jensen also playing his football in South Bermondsey. After enjoying a strong first season for the Lions, Jensen endured a nightmare campaign with injury, failing to play a single minute for Millwall in the most recent season.
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