MILLWALL boss Neil Harris insisted the club would only sign players on his terms as he explained the need to add a defender and attacker to the squad during January.
Millwall’s 2-1 defeat at Norwich on New Year’s Day reinforced the need to strengthen the squad. Steve Morison, 34, played a second 90 minutes in four days as Harris couldn’t rest him with Tom Elliott out injured.
Harris revealed before the start of the season the Lions had been offered a young Premier League player on loan but didn’t proceed with any move as his parent club wanted a guarantee of first-team football.
Harris is hopeful of signing the players that can improve his squad, after success in previous windows with loan deals including Jed Wallace and Jake Cooper.
“We have to run a tight ship, that’s where we’re at. I fully appreciate that. We want to build in small steps,” Harris said.
“I’ve been quite honest in my assessment that we’re probably looking at bringing a couple of loan players in.
“When you get to a position like we are when the chairman is saying you can bring a couple in, that’s brilliant. But then you have a couple lined up and suddenly they’re back in their own team so you can’t get them and feel like you’re a million miles away.
“It’s the same for all managers at the minute. If anyone’s doing really well they’re not available, if anyone’s injured obviously we’re not going to take them, and if anyone’s available because they’re not playing somewhere, then why not?
“It’s a sellers’ market in January. It’s about getting the right players. I’ve always been very clear in my philosophy that I will only sign players if it is on my terms and the club’s terms, not on other people’s.
“So taking players on loan will be on my terms only. Players will have to come in and compete for places because we’ve got a really top spirit in the camp. We have to get the right ones in.
“We’re certainly looking for defensive cover and we need more quality going forward. We feel we’ve got a really good standard in the group at the moment and we need to make sure we add more quality.”
The insistence that Millwall will only recruit on loan this month would seem to rule out a move for Fleetwood striker Devante Cole. The League One side would likely only allow their player to leave permanently as they would want a fee to reinvest in their squad.
Image: Millwall FC