Millwall will be hoping to return to the promotion mix after failing to make the play-offs last season.

The Lions, led by Alex Neil, finished third in the 2025–26 season, and there was hope that they would end their Premier League exile after narrowly missing out on a top two spot.

However, Millwall were defeated over two legs by Hull City in the semi-final, and the Tigers went on to win the final against Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium.

Resigned to a ninth consecutive season of second-tier football, the East London club will be hoping to break into the top flight this season, with Lions fans disappointed in prior years for not being good enough.

Millwall has signed six new players during the summer transfer window, including Mathis Servais, Taïryk Arconte, Elkan Baggott, Mark Sykes, Jenson Metcalfe, and Kyrell Lisbie, with the goal of breaking into the Premier League.

Millwall may also be reinforcing their backline, with an experienced Championship defender on trial after becoming a free agent.

Neil, Millwall’s manager, has recently responded to reports of a move.

Alex Neil discusses Danny Batth’s trial and the Kamarl Grant scheme.

As reported by Southwark News, Millwall manager Alex Neil has confirmed that the club has put hugely experienced Championship defender Danny Batth on trial.

Batth, 35, is a free agent after leaving Derby County this summer. He has made a total of 363 games in the second division for Wolves, Stoke City, Sunderland, Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, and most recently the Rams.

Neil also stated that the rationale for signing Batth on a free transfer is to allow 23-year-old defender Kamarl Grant to go on loan this season.

Neil stated, “We merely looked at Dan because we have a desire to get Kamarl Grant out on loan; we want him to go and play some games.

“We just need some cover in that position. We wanted to check in with Dan tonight to see where we stand, and then we’ll see what we do in the next days and weeks.”

Batth made his Lions debut against Bromley in a recent pre-season friendly, and Neil praised his performance.

“I thought he was fine,” Neil explained. “I believed the game suited him. He’s an old-fashioned centre defender. Danny will go and place his head on it. He is aggressive. He’ll talk. We already have good coverage in that position; we simply need to make sure we don’t fall short.”

How Millwall supporters reacted to Danny Batth and Kamarl Grant’s development

Adding Danny Batth to the group ensures Millwall is well-equipped at the heart of the backline to face the trials of a 46-game Championship season, with Batth providing competition for Jake Cooper, Caleb Taylor, Elkan Baggott, and Tristan Crama.

While Batth is unlikely to play a prominent role at the Den, his second-tier experience could be valuable at times this season, particularly if Millwall can re-enter promotion contention and require an older head to help them get over the line in their quest for a Premier League spot.

Meanwhile, Kamarl Grant will be relieved that Millwall recognised his need for game time and took the initiative to find a substitute so he could go out on loan.

The 23-year-old only made four appearances for Millwall last season, and an ankle injury during the fourth game of his loan spell at Blackpool in January cut his season short, so getting a full season under his belt at League One level could be extremely beneficial to his long-term chances of breaking into the Millwall first team.

An older player like Batth should only be tied to Millwall for a year, and perhaps, after Grant has established himself at another League One club, he will be a highly reliable asset in blue and white.