Rotherham United: Tom Adeyemi joins from Cardiff City and Millers plan centre-forward deal

Midfielder Tom Adeyemi has joined the Millers on a season-long loan from fellow Championship side Cardiff City and is in contention to play in the home clash with one of his former clubs, Brentford, on Saturday.

Stubbs had wanted to add some steel to his midfield department and is delighted to land the 6ft 1in 24-year-old who cost the Bluebirds an estimated £1 million when they took him from Birmingham City in 2014.

“He’s a big, strong athletic, dominant midfield player,” the manager said. “He’s a box-to-box player who’s got great energy. He will give us something that I feel will certainly add to that midfield.

“He’s a team player. His work ethic is very good, he’s good on the ball, he’ll win the ball back. He’s one of those who turns a lot of 50:50 balls into his favour.

“He gives us more solidity in there. He’s more of a physical presence, which we wanted. And he’s got Championship experience.”

Stubbs is also planning to add a frontman to the Millers ranks before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.

The boss, who has now brought in 11 new faces since joining the club on June 2, told The Star: “By the end of the window, I would hope to have a centre-forward in place.”

When asked if there had been progress in the hunt this week, he replied: “Yes.”

Adeyemi is ready to play on Saturday if selected.

“He’s up to pace with fitness,” Stubbs revealed. “He’s played three games recently for the under-23s just to keep his fitness up. In one of those, he asked to do that himself. He’s a good professional.

“He’s fit and available. It’s something we’ll look at between now and the game. He’ll certainly be in contention. Whether he starts is a discussion me and the staff will have.

“He can sit and protect the back four, but he is one, with his athleticism, who can also pick it up on the edge of our box and get us to the edge of the opposition box. That’s something we need. He’s a big, powerful lad. With some of the players we have, we needed that type.”

Izzy Brown, the 19-year-old winger signed on a season-long loan from Chelsea earlier this week, is another player who may make his Millers debut against the Bees.

“He could be involved on Saturday,” Stubbs said. “We need to make sure he is right and ready first before we throw him in.

“In terms of fitness, I don’t think he’ll be a million miles away because he played in the Championships (European Under-19s)in the summer.

“He had four of five days off to spend some time with his girlfriend and then he’s been back training with Chelsea.”

Brown, who trained with his new teammates for the first time yesterday morning, says he chose the Millers ahead of other clubs because he believes they offer him the chance of more game-time.

Another new boy, right-back Darnell Fisher, is in line for his AESSEAL New York Stadium bow this weekend.

Fisher, aged 22, who joined the Millers from Scottish giants Celtic, came on as a substitute at Aston Villa last Saturday and then impressed on his first start, at Brighton, in midweek before being substituted near the end as he tired.

“I thought his performance was full of optimism,” Stubbs said. “It was his first full game and you could see towards the end, even though he’d done very well, he was starting to cramp up a little bit.

“We brought him off to make sure it didn’t turn into anything worse than that and to make sure we’d have him available for the weekend.

“He did very well. He was up against some very talented individuals on his side of the pitch and I thought he coped very well.”

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