Millwall manager Gary Rowett has insisted that the Lions are not a selling club at the moment and that the likes of Jake Cooper and Jed Wallace will not be sold in the summer.

The Lions are enduring one of their best runs of form this campaign in the Championship at the moment with performances from the likes of Cooper and Wallace being influential in their three successive wins. Rowett’s side are starting to show promising signs of developing into a side that can win consistently and avoid some of the draws they were having earlier on in the campaign.

Cooper has enjoyed an excellent individual campaign, with the defender having managed to help the Lions record 14 clean sheets in the Championship during his 36 appearances. While Wallace has also been in strong form for Millwall in the attacking third and is the club’s top scorer with nine goals and six assists in his 39 appearances, having scored ten and assisted 13 last term.

Speaking to London News Online, Rowett has revealed that there a number of Millwall players that are being watched by other clubs. However, he insisted that the Lions are not a selling club and that the likes of Cooper and Wallace would not be allowed to leave the club during the forthcoming summer transfer window, with both players crucial to their hopes.

He said: “The way Jake reacted to the second phase of the corner, with a nice turn and dink into the box, set up our first goal at Stoke.

“For a big man, he is surprisingly adept. We have encouraged our centre-backs to try and play a bit and step into attacks.

“We use a back five and try to make it unpredictable by getting bodies forward in an unconventional way.

“Reaching 200 games is a fabulous achievement for Jake. We have seen him mature as a player in recent seasons.

“He has a lot more to his game than people realise. And at his age, he has huge potential.

“We have had plenty of our players being watched by other clubs because we have been in the top 10 much of the season.

“But in truth I have no interest in whether other clubs want our players.

“Until we get a whopping great bid, that is the only time I pay any attention.

“Our chairman John Berylson has been brilliant. No one has ever got Millwall players on the cheap.

“This has not been a selling club and that is brilliant for any manager.

The verdict

You can understand Rowett’s insistence that the Lions should not sell the likes of Wallace and Cooper in the summer. Both players are going to be crucial to helping the Lions build a squad that is capable of pushing for a top-six finish next term and trying to edge out some of the tight games that they have drawn this season and that have held them back from a play-off place.

There is bound to be interest in players who have displayed the level of form that both Cooper and Wallace have been producing this campaign, and indeed last term. However, Millwall are going to need to show Rowett they have long-term aspirations of challenging for promotion by keeping hold of them. You would imagine it would take huge offers for them to consider selling the pair.

Things are looking positive for Millwall and this is another encouraging message that supporters will want to hear about the futures of their key performers. It is starting to look like with a few decent additions to the squad in the summer, they might be able to mount a challenge for the top-six next season in the Championship.