Millwall Boss Gary Rowett has failed to quash rumours linking Jed Wallace with a move to Besiktas this summer.

In recent days, Turkish website fotoMac claimed that Wallace was close to agreeing a pre-contract agreement with the Super Lig outfit ahead of becoming a free agent this summer.

Speaking ahead of Millwall's clash with Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon, Rowett did not exactly quash the rumours.

“The simple facts are that Jed has probably been as good a player for us in the last three years as any other and performed brilliantly in the Championship,” Rowett told South London Press.

“I personally, as a manager, would love to keep him. The owner, Steve (Kavanagh), Alex (Aldridge, we’d all love to keep him. I think Jed knows that, from us trying to keep him."

“We are also aware he’ll want to make that decision at the end of the season."

"I think that’s right for him to do that. And there is going to be lots of speculation from different clubs abroad, from these shores, and Scotland - there will be all sorts of stuff going around."

“Some of it could have some truth, some is probably not true. Therefore we won’t really concern ourselves with that.

Wallace has had another impressive campaign at The Den this season, scoring six goals and laying on 11 assists in 36 Championship outings.

 

 

This is the third consecutive season in which Wallace has hit double figures for either goals or assists, with the 28-year-old having got 10 goals and 12 assists in 2019/20 and 10 goals six assists in 2020/21.

Unsurprisingly with those numbers, Rowett says the club are desperate to keep hold of him.

“He loves the club and knows how much he means to the club and our fans." Rowett continued.

"But, at the same time, he is a professional footballer with a family and at the end of the season I’m pretty sure he’ll make whatever decision is right for him."

"We desperately want to keep him. We will do everything we can to try to do that.”

The Verdict

Jed Wallace's future is looking increasingly like it may be away from The Den with the latest set of rumours linking him to Turkey.

Millwall's stance is clear - they want to keep him, however, Wallace may be looking for a change when his current contract expires.

He also may well be holding out to see what division Millwall are playing in.

Their recent form has seen them shoot up the table and the Lions are now in with a real shot of achieving a play off place, sitting just one point behind the top six at present.

If they get there, and they somehow pulled off promotion - surely Wallace would not want to leave.

Either way, whether they go up or not, this is certainly one to monitor closely in the coming weeks as the summer approaches.