Millwall Football Club linked with Brighton youngster Tommy Watson

Millwall Football Club is reportedly interested in signing Brighton youngster Tommy Watson, a 20-year-old left winger, in a potential £20m transfer deal. The Lions are currently 3rd in the Championship with 83 points from 46 games, 12 points behind leaders Coventry, and have scored 64 goals this season while conceding 49.

What happened?

Watson moved to Brighton last summer after scoring a stoppage-time play-off final winner that put his boyhood club Sunderland in the Premier League. However, he has struggled to establish himself at either club, with a rollercoaster time on loan with Millwall.

Why it matters for Millwall Football Club

The potential signing of Watson could add attacking incision to Millwall's squad, but it also raises concerns about the Lions' Premier League promotion push. With Femi Azeez enjoying an outstanding season on the right wing, Millwall's manager Alex Neil will be eager to strengthen his squad in the transfer market.

What comes next?

Millwall's transfer links with Watson are still in the early stages, and it remains to be seen whether the Lions will be able to secure his signing. However, with the transfer window set to close on August 8, Millwall will need to act quickly to strengthen their squad for the remainder of the season.

And, with the Lions currently 3rd in the Championship with 83 points from 46 games, 12 points behind leaders Coventry, and having scored 64 goals this season while conceding 49, the pressure is on to make a statement in the transfer market.

The 20-year-old left winger has had a frustrating time with injuries, but is now fit and keen to play, and this move could give him the opportunity to help Millwall with their Premier League promotion push.

The move will really benefit his development, giving him significant game time and allowing him to build on an outstanding breakthrough season with Sunderland last season, where he was integral in their promotion.

Watson flew the Seagulls at the end of the January transfer window, to sign a half-season loan with Millwall. Alex Neil's men were fifth and eying a late surge for automatic promotion, with Femi Azeez enjoying an outstanding season on the right wing, and there was genuine excitement that Watson could add attacking incision on the left.

Watson came off the bench for his Millwall debut at Wrexham and gave a bright cameo in a 2-0 away win. In the next game, he came off the bench with the Lions trailing at Sheffield Wednesday, and it was his explosiveness in the penalty area that produced a cross-shot that Cole McGhee turned into his own net. Two minutes later, Macauley Langstaff scored the winner. Watson was up and running.

Or so we thought. Watson was given his first start at home to Portsmouth on February 21 – and the Lions went on to win 2-1.

The idea is that Watson will swap Sunderland for Sussex, spend time learning the ropes and becoming the player most who have watched him believe he can be. Technical director David Weir said: "Tommy is an exciting young talent who we have been tracking for a significant period of time. He's had an excellent breakthrough season with Sunderland, and we are looking forward to him joining us in the summer.”

Unfortunately, he picked up a knock in preseason and he was not available for the first couple of Premier League games. Instead, he made his debut off the bench in the League Cup win over Oxford, scoring the sixth in a 6-0 win. His next game came a month later, also in the League Cup, this time with three assists in another six-goal hammering. And then in October, came his Premier League debut, half an hour in the madcap 4-2 loss at Manchester United. Nine minutes followed at home to Leeds and then another niggle and more than a month on the sidelines.

A month and 17 minutes of football later, he was farmed out on loan with Fabian Hurzeler saying: “Tommy's settled in well, but has had a frustrating time with injuries. He's now fit and keen to play and this gives him the opportunity. He is an exciting young player and he now has the chance to help Millwall with their Premier League promotion push. The move will really benefit his development. It'll give him significant game time and allow him to build on an outstanding breakthrough season with Sunderland last season, where he was integral in their promotion.”