Yahoo Sports Esse will cost Crystal Palace 'significant money'
Millwall head coach Alex Neil says the club will receive "significant money" if Romain Esse moves to Crystal Palace during this transfer window.
The 19-year-old signed a new "long-term" contract at The Den in the summer but has been linked with a January move to Selhurst Park.
Neil confirmed the Premier League club's interest in signing the winger this month.
A source told BBC Sport that Esse's new contract includes a release clause which would need to be met for the attacker to leave the club this month.
Speaking ahead of Millwall's FA Cup third round tie against Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday, Neil said the club wanted to keep hold of their best players.
"At the moment, there's interest from Crystal Palace, which has been well-documented. How far down the line that is, I'm not sure," he told BBC Radio London.
"But I think people need to recognise how well we as a club have done by securing Romain on a new contract which took, by all accounts, a bit of convincing to stay because he wanted to play football.
"He is now playing football, he's certainly been one of our best performers this season. We don't want to lose any of our best players but I think everybody understands the contract situation around Romain.
"If he does move, he'll move for significant money, which from the club's perspective will be brilliant business considering we could have lost him in the summer for free."
Millwall 'in the market to strengthen' - Neil
Esse is a product of the youth set-up at Millwall and made his senior debut in December 2022.
The England Under-20 international has gone on to make 66 appearances for the Lions, scoring seven goals - including five in 26 games this season as he has cemented his status in the first team.
Neil was hired as the permanent successor to Neil Harris after the club's all-time top scorer stepped down in December, and took charge of his first game in a 1-0 defeat to Oxford United on New Year's Day. After a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, he is still awaiting his first win in the role.
"At the moment, nobody's left and nobody's came in. So from that perspective it's [the squad] the same as it was," Neil added.
"We're certainly in the market to try and strengthen the squad regardless. But as always when you lose a player, if you lose a player, you need to replace him.
"And more importantly, there are still areas in the team that we'd like to do some work in."
Neil also revealed their had been no concrete interest in centre-back Japhet Tanganga from other clubs.
