Millwall director of football Steve Gallen has revealed how Super Eagles winger Femi Azeez’s transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion went down to the final 20 minutes of the summer transfer window.
Azeez joined Brighton on a four-year contract after the Premier League club reached an agreement with Millwall on deadline day.
The deal was completed using a deal sheet submitted before the initial 11pm deadline, giving both clubs additional time to conclude the transfer.
Speaking in an interview with Millwall TV, Gallen revealed that the Nigeria international had not completed his move until after midnight, despite the window officially closing at 11pm.
“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,” Gallen was quoted as saying by Southwark News.
He explained that the transfer remained possible because Millwall had submitted the necessary deal sheet before 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,” he explained.
The Millwall chief revealed that the club was still waiting for confirmation of the transfer well into the early hours of the morning.
“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,” Gallen said.
He added that the uncertainty continued almost until the final permitted time for completing the deal.
“So we did not know until 20 minutes before the end of the transfer window if he was actually going to go.”
Azeez left Millwall after making 77 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists.
His performances during the 2025/26 season earned him selections in both the PFA and EFL Championship Teams of the Season before his move to Brighton.
Wale Adejumo
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