'Increasing interest' but why is Motherwell's Miller so coveted?'

7 hours ago 24

Lennon Miller has attracted "a lot of interest" but "nothing concrete", says Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou as the Scotland midfielder's future remains unclear.

Miller, 18, is entering the final year of his contract at Fir Park, and has long been expected to depart this summer so the Scottish Premiership side might receive a sizeable fee.

However, as Motherwell prepare to start their season in the League Cup against Clyde on Saturday, Miller remains at the club and could be involved.

"There has been obviously a lot of interest and it's busy around Lennon," said new head coach Askou. "There's a lot of a lot of manoeuvring in the market around him.

"There's nothing concrete right now, but it could change quickly."

Askou disclosed that interest was "increasing" but insists Miller is not "knocking on my door every day and saying I need to leave".

"He's dealing with it really, really well," he added. "He's really pleased with the role he has in the team now and what we are trying to do because it suits him.

"He's a fantastic football player, a very, very big talent that you don't see very often. So we know the day will come.

"We will announce that when it's the right time to announce whether there's something specific on him."

Why is Miller so sought after?

Clearly an 18-year-old who has played 76 first-team games, captained his club, and made his international debut possesses talent which is going to attract attention.

Since his debut, Miller's close control, passing range and vision have caught the eye.

A look at some of the numbers for central midfielders in the Scottish Premiership last season demonstrates why Miller would appear in lots of databases.

Already an adept set-piece taker, Miller grabbed eight assists for Motherwell - a tally only bettered by Rangers' Nicolas Raskin among central midfielders.

Mostly a deeper-lying player, he was deployed as one of two number 10s in the early part of the campaign for Motherwell, and ranked third among midfielders for chances created by the end of the season, as well as deliveries into the box.

As for the dirtier side of the game, only Celtic captain Callum McGregor won the ball back more times than Miller.

The teenager was also the most fouled central midfielder in the league, a nod to his ability to use his body to protect the ball in tight spaces, and his dribbling prowess.

His passing accuracy as a whole is further down the charts, which hints at an area for development, but Motherwell's direct style and Miller's tendency to play riskier passes forward could also be behind the lower figure.

Of course individual statistics are not themselves the basis for signing players.

But what has been striking about Miller has been the calmness and confidence with which he has played since his debut.

He has often been keen to take responsibility, for example scoring an injury-time penalty against Dundee United to send Motherwell to the League Cup semi-finals.

Miller was similarly unbothered by his first Scotland start against Liechtenstein, putting in a standout display.

"He makes football look easy regardless of what game he plays in," his former Motherwell team-mate Tony Watt posted on X after that game.

Is he most likely to head abroad?

Miller and his former Scotland cap dad Lee have always maintained playing regularly is the priority.

Moving away from these shores might be his best chance to do that, while others also think it would be a good fit for his game.

Both Udinese and Union Saint-Gilloise reportedly had bids rejected for Miller in January, and they will unlikely to be the last offers coming in, with Sunderland among the sides linked this summer.

"Lennon's next move is so important, because a lot of players will get sucked into going to just a massive club and going, right, I've arrived," dad Lee said.

"There was a pathway at Motherwell, and the next one is important because he has to play, he has to develop, he has to then kick on again.

"Once he's round about top-class elite players, he will then kick on again. And I think he has that inner belief, and it's not arrogance, it's just a belief."