Millwall director of football Steve Gallen has revealed how close Femi Azeez came to remaining at the Championship club before completing his late move to Brighton & Hove Albion, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles forward joined Brighton in a deal worth more than £15 million on the final day of the summer transfer window after the Premier League side eventually agreed to Millwall’s demands.
However, the transfer appeared in danger of collapsing, with Millwall prepared to keep the Nigerian winger after rejecting Brighton’s initial offer.
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Gallen explained that the club had been unwilling to lower its valuation of Azeez, particularly after turning down a similar offer in January to retain the forward for their promotion push.
“We decided that unless they upped their offer considerably, he was going to stay,” Gallen said, per Southwark News.
“I then went to his agent and told him that. Then I went back to Brighton and told them, ‘We’re not going to sell him for the amount that you’re offering.’ We were all prepared that he was going to stay.”
The Millwall chief also disclosed that Azeez had made his preference clear, leaving the Championship side with limited options once other interested clubs were ruled out.
Brighton eventually improved their offer, allowing the two clubs to reach an agreement, but the paperwork added another layer of uncertainty to the deal.
Gallen revealed that Millwall submitted a deal sheet at 10:30 pm, shortly before the 11 pm transfer deadline, giving the clubs additional time to complete the necessary formalities.
“On the last day, it was a Tuesday night, and so the transfer window closed at 11 pm. Femi did not sign for Brighton until 12:40 am, an hour and 40 minutes after the deadline.
“How did that happen? Because as long as you get the deal sheet in before 11 pm, the deal sheet went in at 10:30 pm, then you have two more hours. You’ve got until 1 am.
“So I was sat at the training ground, and I got a phone call at 12:40 am to say Femi had signed for Brighton. So we did not know until 20 minutes before the end of the transfer window if he was actually going to go.”
Azeez earned his move to the Premier League after an impressive campaign in which he scored 11 goals and supplied seven assists for Millwall, helping them reach the Championship play-off semi-finals. His performances also earned him a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Season.
The 25-year-old has yet to make his Brighton debut after suffering an injury in Millwall’s opening league fixture, but his return to training offers hope of an imminent appearance.
Azeez will now be eager for his first taste of competitive action in the Premier League as he looks to potentially establish himself as an important player for Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls over the course of the season.
