The Millwall manager was eager to see his key striker remain past deadline day, but this season could mark the Serbian’s final one with the Lions.
After an impressive haul of 12 goals in 37 Championship appearances last season for Millwall, Ivanovic has drawn considerable transfer interest.
In June, reports suggested that Premier League side Wolves were monitoring Ivanovic, and later in the summer window, Leicester City identified the Millwall forward as a potential successor to Jamie Vardy at the King Power Stadium.
EFL Analysis exclusively revealed that the move fell through because Leicester couldn’t offload enough players to fund an Ivanovic transfer, and a fresh update about the striker has now emerged, which won’t sit well with Neil.
Concerning news regarding Mihailo Ivanovic’s Millwall contract:
Fortunately for the Lions, Leicester’s financial struggles and the Foxes’ inability to sell Patson Daka meant they couldn’t meet the fee for the Serbian centre-forward.
Since joining the Den from Serbian top-tier side Vojvodina FC last summer, the youngster has 13 goals for Millwall, but he has yet to open his account this season.
Key statistic – Mihailo Ivanovic for Millwall
Games: 44
Goals + Assists: 13 + 1
Neil will be hoping Ivanovic finds the net this season when Millwall face Charlton Athletic on Saturday in a fiercely contested South London derby, with the striker’s contractual uncertainty still hanging over him.
In the latest update, journalist Pete O’Rourke noted on X: “Millwall have yet to offer star striker Mihailo Ivanovic a new deal despite pricing him out of a potential move away in the summer transfer window after clubs made offers for his services.”
Ivanovic signed a long-term deal with Millwall in 2024, and although the exact expiration is unclear, the striker will expect to receive what he believes he deserves as one of the Championship’s best young forwards.
While Neil may not fully share that view, he certainly recognizes Ivanovic’s immense potential.
Alex Neil’s glowing praise for Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic:
Neil is keen for Ivanovic to remain at Millwall, and understandably so, given his prolific scoring and capacity for further development in English football.
After Ivanovic netted a brace against Portsmouth to secure three points for play-off-chasing Millwall, Neil described the Serbian as ‘one of the top 10 young talents in Europe’.
As reported by the St Albans Review, Neil said:
“Any 20-year-old that leads the line in the Championship and can get nearly 10 goals – and he’ll reach double figures before the end of the season.
“If you do that, that’s an incredible season and it wouldn’t surprise me if people start talking about him.
“I’ve already seen something the other day about the top 10 young talents in Europe – he’s one of them.
“He’s 20 years old, there are very few strikers at that age who can lead the line at this level and also score goals, so he deserves all the praise he gets.”
In the first Millwall vs Charlton derby in five years, Ivanovic will be aiming for his first goal of the campaign, and another strong season in front of goal will undoubtedly attract more transfer attention.