Millwall FC potential move for defensive reinforcement dubbed "weird" | OneFootball

FLW's Millwall fan pundit has given his view on reports linking the club with a move for former West Ham defender James Tomkins.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It has been an excellent few weeks for Millwall in the Championship under new manager Alex Neil, and they had an incredibly busy end to the January transfer window.

Millwall brought in eight new players during the winter window as Neil looked to stamp his mark on the squad, including breaking their transfer record to sign Sparta Rotterdam winger Camiel Neghli.

That may not be the end of the Lions' transfer business, as journalist Alan Nixon revealed on Sunday morning that the club are trying to tempt former Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins out of retirement.

Tomkins has been without a club since leaving Selhurst Park in the summer, and he could be set to make a surprise return to football at The Den, but there have been conflicting reports about the situation, with South London Press reporter Richard Cawley claiming that Millwall are not interested in the 35-year-old, who spent much of his career with their bitter rivals West Ham United.

After an underwhelming start to Neil's tenure, the Lions secured their fourth consecutive victory with an impressive 2-0 win at Leeds United in the FA Cup on Saturday, and they currently sit 14th in the Championship table, five points from the play-off places.

Millwall fan pundit reacts to James Tomkins speculation

When asked for his thoughts on the potential signing of Tomkins, FLW's Millwall fan pundit Lucas Ball admitted that he is pleased the rumours do not appear to be true, questioning the need for further defensive additions.

"The James Tomkins rumour came out of nowhere on Sunday morning," Lucas said.

"I'm not too sure why we're looking at short-term cover in the middle of defence to be honest.

"We've now got Tristan Crama who can play there, we've got Shaun Hutchinson and Murray Wallace who can play there, as well as Wes Harding.

"Harding has hardly had a look in for a long time until Saturday when he played at right-back with Crama cup tied.

"It was a bit of a weird rumour, I'm told there's no truth to it, which I'm glad about because he's not played enough football in recent years, full stop.

"Add to that the West Ham and Crystal Palace links and it would be a very strange signing.

"We've got an inflated squad now as well after the business we did in January, so while that's not necessarily the case in the back line, bringing in Tomkins wouldn't have made any sense anyway.

"I'm certainly not upset that the reports don't seem to be entirely accurate."

Millwall and Alex Neil should avoid James Tomkins deal

While it seems there is no truth in reports linking Tomkins with a move to Millwall, it is difficult to disagree with Lucas that there is no need for Neil to bring in another defender.

Tomkins would bring vast Premier League experience to The Den, which could be useful in the dressing room as Neil looks to guide his side towards the play-off places, but having been without a club since the summer, he would need time to get up to speed.

It is unlikely that Tomkins would be a regular starter between now and the end of the season, and given his strong connection to West Ham, his arrival may not be welcomed by Lions supporters, so it is a deal that the club should avoid.