Millwall manager Gary Rowett is increasingly confident that Zian Flemming will stay put after Premier League newcomers Burnley failed with four bids for the Dutch midfielder.
Vincent Kompany’s Clarets are not the first club to grow frustrated in their pursuit of the one-time Ajax prospect.
Nottingham Forest, during the summer of 2021, made a trio of offers; Zian Flemming admitting that he had hoped to put pen to paper at the City Ground before being forced to spend another season in the lemon-and-lime striped kit of Fortuna Sittard.
And, while Flemming has kept his mouth shut this time around, it looks that history is repeating itself; Burnley seeing no fewer than four bids rejected as Millwall aim to retain the services of their talismanic playmaker beyond the September deadline (London News Online).
Burnley likely to miss out on Millwall’s Zian Flemming
“There is going to be interest from Premier League clubs because he is a top-quality player,” Rowett tells BBC Sport. “(But) I believe he will be our player come the first game of the season.”
Of course, with Millwall facing Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow, time is not exactly on Burnley’s side if Kompany wants to get Flemming through the door at Turf Moor before the start of the new campaign.
Rowett, meanwhile, accepts that the speculation is unlikely to stop any time soon. Valued at around £13 million these days, Flemming was the top-scoring midfielder in the Championship last term, taking on the role of Millwall’s attacking talisman after the loss of Jed Wallace to West Brom.
“You can’t have a player who has his first season in the Championship and scores 15 goals and then be surprised or disappointed that there is interest from elsewhere,” Rowett adds. “We have to accept that.
“He’ll have an opportunity to go and add to that. I think after, another strong season, he’ll certainly have other Premier League interest along the way.”
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