Bournemouth edge ahead of Crystal Palace, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Chesterfield in pursuit of highly-regarded Gosport starlet

Teenage pair Finn Walsh-Smith and Dylan Holgate are currently trialling at Dean Court with a view to potential moves.

Walsh-Smith, a towering central defender who is comfortable on the ball, graduated into Shaun Gale’s first-team last season as a 17-year-old.

In December 2021, he appeared as a second-half substitute for Matt Briggs in a 2-1 Hampshire Senior Cup defeat to AFC Totton.

This term, the now 18-year-old has totalled 16 outings, including 12 starts, although was left out of the Southern League Premier Division South club’s squad in Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Bracknell.

Walsh-Smith also faced a Pompey XI in a July friendly, hitting the bar late on with a header during the non-leaguers’ surprise 1-0 victory at Privett Park.

However, it is understood the Blues are not among the clubs who have declared interest in the promising youngster, with Crystal Palace, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Chesterfield and, of course, Bournemouth leading the chase.

As for Holgate, Gosport’s under-18s centre-forward, he has yet to be handed a first-team debut, although has twice been an unused substitute this season.

Like Walsh-Smith, the 17-year-old has emerged through Borough’s highly-regarded Centre of Excellence, with both lads hailing from Gosport.

The duo have spent the last few weeks training at Bournemouth, featuring in several behind-closed-doors games.

They are continuing to spend time with the Premier League club this week, with a decision on their futures expected to be made following another scheduled match outing.

Gosport deserve tremendous credit for their eye-catching progress, with owner Iain McInnes overseeing the youth set-up’s expansion at the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Former players Joe Lea and Pat Suraci are joint managers of the Centre of Excellence, aiming to provide a pathway into Borough’s first-team.