Millwall FC: Alex Neil urged to sign "experience" this summer with Japhet Tanganga tipped to be among exits | OneFootball

FLW's Lions fan pundit has given his thoughts on what would make up a dream transfer window for the club

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...

Millwall have been urged to sign some experienced players in the upcoming transfer window to replace the numerous older players in Alex Neil's squad that are set to depart this summer at the end of their respective contracts.

The Lions' inconsistent season looks set to have a busy end as they chase a surprise spot in the Championship play-offs. They currently sit eighth in the table, three points and two places behind sixth-placed Coventry City, with crunch games against Swansea City and Burnley still to play.

Alex Neil has done a stellar job at The Den since he was appointed as head-coach at the end of December, and the club was able to conduct some impressive business in the January transfer window, which has helped them climb the standings to become genuine top-six contenders as it stands.

Numerous players are coming to the end of their respective Millwall contracts this summer, and while the wait is on to see if they can make it into the play-offs and then possibly even into the top-flight, there is sure to be a pretty sizeable overturn of players in the coming months regardless of their league status.

Millwall fan pundit makes 'real leadership' demand ahead of a potential squad overhaul

The Lions have long been known for their gritty, determined style under managers like Neil Harris and Gary Rowett, but their current group of players is pretty different to the archetypal Millwall squad, with lots of youth, flair and creativity packed at Neil's disposal right now.

Their strategy of signing players with less experience, and also delving into the European market, certainly looks to have worked this season, but there is always a danger of going too far and risking losing balance if there are not some old heads that are there to help the younger ones throughout a long, gruelling Championship campaign.

Millwall have seven players that are out-of-contract this summer, with the likes of Shaun Hutchinson, George Saville, Duncan Watmore, Joe Bryan and George Honeyman all set to depart as it stands. Each of those players is over 30 years of age, so it is clear that the club are set to lose a lot of their nous and know-how very soon.

FLW's Lions fan pundit, Lucas Ball, wants to see the club sign some experienced players this summer, as a result of those expiring contracts, while he has also pinpointed a need to sign a new midfielder and centre-forward to make up his dream Millwall transfer window.

“We need to bring some experience in (this summer). I’m not necessarily saying it needs to be 30+ year-old's, but some of our experienced players are naturally coming to that point of their careers where they need to move on," Lucas told FLW.

“Get some experience in the group, some real leadership. Obviously play-offs are an outside shot at the moment, so this answer could change dramatically depending on what happens in the next few weeks.

“If we can get some experience in certain positions, they don’t necessarily have to be starters, but in-and-around the group. It is just useful to have to guide some of the youngsters, because we have got a lot of young players now.

“I think you’ll see guys like Shaun Hutchinson move on, Danny McNamara probably will, George Saville is one that could move on. Guys like that who have been at the club for a long time.

“Tanganga could obviously go, there is significant interest in him and that seems likely over the summer. Naturally, we will need to replace those guys with quality, if they do go.

“That is hard in Tanganga’s case, but Tristan Crama has come in and done very well at right-back and now at centre-back, so I’m not too worried about that. It would probably mean we could spend some of the money that comes in elsewhere.

“We could get an upgrade in our midfield, a better partner for Casper De Norre, as good as Billy Mitchell has been in recent weeks. Just as competition, as much as anything, especially if Saville does go.

“Up top, obviously they want to bring Josh Coburn in. There are rumours that he doesn’t want to leave the North East, so whether we can get that one done is difficult, but if not, we will need a striker in that mould.

“We need to probably loan out some of our more promising youngsters who aren’t going to get minutes in the Championship, and get them some decent game-time in League One or Two ideally.

“There is work to be done in certain areas, but the way the recruitment was done in January, I’m positive that we will get the business that we need done, and be in a really positive place come the end of the summer.”

Millwall are waiting for their season to end before making decisions on incomings and outgoings

Neil has overseen a miraculous revival of Millwall's campaign since his December arrival, after they had looked to be in genuine relegation trouble at the very start of the season, and then also struggled for form immediately after he was appointed.

They have won four of their last five Championship outings to make a late run for the play-offs, and even though supporters will want answers over who is set to leave and depart The Den this summer, it looks as if it will take another few weeks for decisions to be made following Neil's recent quotes.

The 43-year-old was recently asked by the Southwark News about updates on Japhet Tanganga's future, following previous interest in his services from Wolves, and West Ham, Ipswich Town and Southampton also having been linked with a move.

He insisted that the former Spurs man has remained the "ultimate professional," and gave a brief insight into the club's thinking ahead of potential departures this summer, saying: "As far as people staying, people leaving, people potentially getting bought, that’s not been a topic of discussion in and around the training ground, and it certainly won’t be until the season’s over."

It is clear that the Lions are playing the waiting game in terms of off-field moves and agreements, with the club's full current focus being on trying to achieve a surprise top-six finish, with a place in the top-flight of English football for the first time since 1989/90 potentially at stake.

Neil oversaw the signings of eight players in the recent winter window, with each new incoming being aged 25 or younger, and while a similar strategy is likely to continue this summer, the club will need to balance it out with older, more experienced signings due to the number of senior faces that are set to depart.