Millwall manager Gary Rowett has admitted striker Abdul Abdulmalik is likely to leave the Championship outfit amid interest from Rangers, Arsenal and Watford, speaking to the South London Press.
It’s not as though the highly rated forward is going with the blessing of many at The Den either.
Rowett is at pains to point out Millwall have done their level best to tie Abdulmalik down to a new contract.
The teenager became a free agent earlier this month, however, and it looks increasingly unlikely his first-team debut will come in the dark blue of the Lions.
The Daily Mail reports Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have been watching the situation closely, while Swansea City are willing to pay a compensation package of about £200,000.
It’s understood Abdulmalik is now training with Premier League newcomers Watford as one of the most coveted prospects in the EFL weighs up his next move. The youngster recently trained with League One Portsmouth but manager Danny Cowley decided not to pursue a deal.
Could Abdulmalik join Rangers, Arsenal or Watford this summer?
“Other people at the club also expressed the same desire to keep him here on a longer contract,” said former Birmingham, Stoke City and Derby County manager Rowett.
“In my opinion, he has been given not particularly brilliant advice – which is you essentially need to try to leave the club.
“Someone would have to pay compensation if they were signing him.
“I’m not too sure where he goes from here. The problem nowadays is you get a lot of people in young players’ ears giving advice when they probably haven’t played the game or been in that position.
“That advice isn’t always in the player’s best interests.”
First-team opportunities would obviously be hard to come by at Ibrox or the Emirates for Abdulmalik.
The smart money, then, should possibly be placed on a Swansea City side that has already snapped up one highly rated young striker this summer in the shape of Kyle Joseph.
In Steve Cooper, Swansea have a manager who led an England side containing Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi to U17 World Cup glory a few years ago.
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