Championship rivals seal signing of £1m former Portsmouth target as Southampton plot West Ham raid
The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals
Deadline day is fast approaching and transfer activity is hotting up ahead of Tuesday’s close.
It’s expected to be a busy finale to the window at Fratton Park, with incomings and outgoings in the cards as John Mousinho puts the finishing touches on his squad.
At least three players could still arrive, including a left-back, central midfielder and a versatile attacker.
Meanwhile, Josh Knight, Josef Bursik, Hayden Matthews, Luke Le Roux, Jacob Farrell, Mark Kosznovszky and Harvey Blair are all considerations to either be sold, loaned or deregistered in the coming days.
Elsewhere, gossip and speculation is ramping up across the Championship as clubs look to strengthen ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Here are the latest headlines involving the Blues’ second-tier rivals.
Cardiff City sign former Pompey target
Cardiff City have secured the signing of former Pompey target Krystian Bielik.
The centre-back was linked with a move to Fratton Park in August 2025 as Mousinho looked for defensive reinforcements.
After being touted with a £1m move, the 28-year-old instead favoured a switch to West Brom, with the Blues instead recruiting Josh Knight before the deadline.
But just 12 months into his three-year deal, Bielik’s time at the Hawthorns is over and has instead joined Championship new-boys Cardiff.
The centre-back makes the move to the Welsh capital for an undisclosed fee and has also penned a three-year deal.
The 11-cap Poland international amassed 20 appearances in his sole season with West Brom and has more than 150 Championship outings under his belt after spells with Derby County and Birmingham City.
Mousinho’s troops will face Cardiff and Bielik next month when the Bluebirds visit Fratton Park on September 5.
Southampton eye West Ham man
Southampton are eyeing a late-window move for midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to reports.
Sky Sports have revealed Pompey’s south-coast rivals are exploring a deal to bring the West Ham man back to St Mary’s before Tuesday’s deadline.
However, finances and wages are expected to play a big part in whether an agreement can be reached to re-sign the 31-year-old.
Ward-Prowse came through the ranks at Southampton before making his first-team debut in 2011. The Portsmouth-born man went on to amass 410 appearances for the Blues’ bitter rivals before his £30m exit in August 2023.
He has gone on to feature 75 times for the Hammers and also spent time on loan with Nottingham Forest and Burnley during his three-year stay at the London Stadium.
Ward-Prowse was left out of West Ham’s match-day squad for their 4-1 triumph over Southampton on Tuesday and remains out-of-favour with Nuno Espirito-Santo.
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