Rotherham United are believed to have entered advanced talks with free agent defender Kieran Ngwenya.
The 23-year-old has been subject to plenty of interest across the EFL heading into the summer following his exit from Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic, with Plymouth Argyle, Leyton Orient and Blackpool all tipped with potential moves.
Millers Edge Closer
Now, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, interest has now come from League Two newcomers Rotherham United, who have now entered ‘advanced discussions’ to sign the centre-back.
Reports at the end of June from Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph revealed that ‘a number’ of League One clubs had tabled offers to Ngwenya after he rejected contract offers to remain at Dunfermline.
O’Rourke names both Burton Albion and Wigan Athletic in his update, with the former believed to have had long-standing interest in the Trinidad and Tobago international stemming as far back as April alongside Leyton Orient.
Rotherham have been looking to fill out their squad ahead of their season opener this weekend, with Alex Bruce looking to add several new additions, having just 12 senior pros on the books at the New York Stadium.
In an update from Scott Burns of the Daily Record, Rotherham are set to hand Ngwenya a two-year deal, and he will shortly be joined in Yorkshire by one of his former Dunfermline teammates in Ewan Otoo, who has been on trial with the League Two club.
Key Move Edges Closer
Regardless of whether they had enough players or not, Rotherham United’s advancement in a move for free agent Kieran Ngwenya is a statement deal for a side hoping to reverse a multiple-season slide.
A player who has been pursued by many League One sides heading into the summer, the centre-back now looks on course to head to South Yorkshire and will be a key player across the campaign having had a standout spell with Dunfermline Athletic.
While injury issues did blight him in the opening part of the campaign, he soon stepped up to become an undroppable option for the Pars during their push for promotion to the Scottish Premiership, and played a key role in their unlikely run to the Scottish Cup final.
Having played in a back three under Neil Lennon at East End Park, he will head to the New York Stadium, where he could be deployed in the same system with new coach Alex Bruce having used it as Karl Robinson’s assistant at Salford City.
Given the transfer business of other clubs in this window, such as Plymouth’s early focus on new defenders and Burton Albion’s recruitment of Curtis Tilt from Bradford City, Rotherham have now landed on a highly-coveted player in Ngwenya and could form a formidable partnership with club stalwart Joe Rafferty.
