Despite interest from other teams, Millwall manager Joe Edwards is optimistic that Romain Esse won’t leave the team before the transfer window closes.
Esse, the Millwall starlet, is one of The Den’s most gifted young players. The 18-year-old has been present in the first squad for a little while, but recently, he has had fewer opportunities.
Since the end of November, Esse has only appeared as a substitute three times in the Championship. He has made 30 first-team appearances with the Lions overall, with one goal.
The potential attacking midfielder has been making waves despite the lack of playing time. Although Burnley and Hull City reportedly made offers for the Millwall star earlier this week, according to Football Insider, manager Edwards is unconcerned about the player’s future.
He acknowledged such links are understandable in an interview with News At Den, but he emphasized that he wanted to continue working with Esse in the long run. He declared:
“I understand that there has been some interest, which is completely understandable given that this young England international is playing at the Championship level and likely hasn’t been getting the optimal amount of playing time in recent weeks and months—even though he played well on Saturday and received his highest number of minutes in a while.
I understand why there would be conjecture as that is rather common, but in my opinion, I haven’t had to consider or make any decisions on anything.
“From my perspective, Romain trains with us every day, and he’s a player I want to be a part of [the club] for the long run I want to keep working with.”
Edwards was later asked if he was confident of Esse remaining beyond the end of the window, to which he replied: “Yeah, yeah I am.”
Looking to break through
Even if Esse hasn’t played much for Edwards, he might still be a fantastic manager for the rookie. The Millwall manager should be well-positioned to nurture potential in the senior game given his background dealing with elite young talent at Chelsea and England.
Time will tell if Esse can get more opportunities like that for the remainder of the season, but a 45-minute appearance against Preston indicates the Lions manager has faith in his talents. If not, the child might begin to be drawn to opportunities elsewhere.
For his growth, a loan out of The Den could be perfect, giving him more playing time away from Millwall. However, it’s unlikely that Burnley and Hull City will be the only teams considering a permanent move for Esse given his skills and potential.
