League One latest: Former Portsmouth boss eyes raid for £10m ace after Ipswich Town takeover as Watford beat Manchester City and Celtic to teen star's signature

There’s plenty of news breaking in terms of transfers and other developments at Pompey’s League One rivals as the campaign reaches its climax. Here’s the latest news from around the division.
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Rhodes raid

Former Pompey boss Paul Cook is eyeing a raid for Sheffield Wednesday striker Jordan Rhodes.

Cook will be armed with a transfer warchest to turn Ipswich Town into promotion contenders next season, following their takeover by American investors the Three Lions.

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And Football League World report a primary target will be Rhodes, who went to Hillsborough for £10m from Middlesbrough in 2017 and has bagged seven goals this term for the Championship strugglers.

Hornets swoop for in-demand teen star

Premier League new boys Watford are set to complete the signing of Rochdale prospect Kwadwo Baah.

The 18-year-old has shone for the Dale this season in 33 appearances, but is out of contract this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday's Jordan Rhodes Pic: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.Sheffield Wednesday's Jordan Rhodes Pic: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.
Sheffield Wednesday's Jordan Rhodes Pic: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.

Manchester City appeared to have a deal for the winger lined up and Celtic were also linked, but it appears it’s the Hornets who’ve won the race for his signature with Baah yesterday having a medical at Vicarage Road.

Evans didn’t help Ipswich

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Former Pompey midfielder David Norris has rounded on Ipswich’s former owner for the club’s failings this season.

Norris believes the Tractor Boys’ failure to contend for promotion rests predominantly with former owner Marcus Evans over ex-boss Paul Lambert.

The former Ipswich man told Football League World: ‘I think I think that the club needed a change at the top. I think the fans have been unhappy with Marcus Evans for quite a few years now.

‘Maybe it didn’t help sticking with Lambert for so long, but I think the the problems now might have been a little bit off the back of Lambert – I think the play-offs at that time were still achievable.

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‘I think the problems were bigger than that – it was from the top to bottom – I think what is going to happen now is going to be a big transitional period for the club.’

Black Cats bolstered

Lee Johnson has saluted the appointment of new head of recruitment Stuart Harvey as they continue to put in the infrastructure to turn the club into a force.

Harvey arrives at the Stadium of Light after six years at Blackburn and follows the likes of new boss Johnson and respected sporting director Kristjaan Speakman in joining Pompey’s arrivals.

Johnson told the Sunderland Echo: ‘My initial impressions of him are that he's got that intensity to go the extra mile, which I think is really important.

‘That's not always the case in that role.

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‘He's certainly a worker and that's the most important thing.

‘We've had a lot of conversations already, even though he hasn't been here long, in terms of the individual profiles in any position.

‘He's got a good understanding of the philosophy. I had a lot of this anyway as when I was out of work, I had that five months to be able to build that so I could present it pretty clearly to anybody so there's no time or money wasted.

‘I think he's got that experience of that market, as well, which is really important.

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‘Touch wood and pray to god, if we were to get promoted then it'd probably be a similar type of market that we'd be operating in.

‘I'm sure from his perspective he's seen the potential of the football club, as I did, and where you could take it.’

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