Portsmouth rivals battling to keep talent as Southampton and West Ham plot Championship raid
The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship.
The latest international break is well underway and Pompey will be keeping tabs on a number of players from John Mousinho’s squad who will be in action.
There’s plenty of involvement for Blues representatives in the coming days, with Terry Devlin (Northern Ireland), Eoin Kenny (Northern Ireland), Ebou Adams (Gambia), Adrian Segecic (Croatia U21), Thomas Waddingham (Australia) and Rocco Shein (Estonia) all in action in the coming days.
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Mousinho’s troops then travel to Bolton Wanderers after the international stoppage, which then kick-starts a frenetic month of Championship football before the turn of the year.
Eyes will then turn to the January window, with the head coach no doubt hoping to bolster his ranks for the second half of the season.
Gossip and speculation is already doing the rounds across the Championship as the rumour mill begins to ramp up.
Here are the latest transfer headlines involving the Blues’ second-tier rivals.
Southampton & West Ham plot Championship raid
Southampton and West Ham are reportedly plotting a raid on Championship rivals Swansea City in the January transfer window.
Both sides are eyeing a return to the Premier League this season, with the Blues’ south-coast rivals sitting seventh, while the Hammers currently occupy ninth.
It’s expected to be a busy period in the market at the London Stadium as Scott Parker assembles his squad for a potential promotion push following his appointment earlier this month.
Planning appears to already be underway in east London, with the Swansea Independent claiming West Ham and Southampton are both ‘showing interest’ in midfielder Marko Stamenic.
The report suggests the duo are ‘keeping an eye’ on the New Zealand international, who has played a key role in Swansea’s strong start to the campaign.
The 24-year-old has featured 14 times for Vitor Matos’ men this season, including a 90 minute display in the Swans’ 3-1 defeat to Pompey last week.
The Welsh outfit, though, are in a strong contractual position over Stamenic, who still has more than two-and-a-half years remaining on the four-year deal he penned in August 2025.
This means a strong fee will likely be required to tempt Swansea into a mid-season sale, with the midfielder a valuable figure in Matos’ engine room.
News of West Ham’s interest in Stamenic comes less than a fortnight before they travel to Fratton Park to face Pompey for the second time this season.
Premier League clubs circle Sheffield United man
Sheffield United are facing the growing threat of losing Sydie Peck, according to fresh reports.
The Blades midfielder is believed to be on the radar of as many as six Premier League clubs ahead of the January window.
TEAMtalk have claimed Newcastle United and Sunderland are leading the chase, having kept close tabs on the 22-year-old’s progress during the opening weeks of the campaign.
Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Crystal Palace are also showing an interest, along with Championship rivals West Ham.
Peck’s stock continues to rise after establishing himself in the engine room at Bramall Lane since their 2023 Premier League relegation.
After rising through the ranks in the Steel City, the England youth international has totalled 106 appearances in all competitions for Sheffield United and has had previous Premier League interest.
The former Oldham Athletic loanee has been a mainstay in Chris Wilder’s side, netting four goals in 14 appearances and started the Blades’ 3-2 defeat at Fratton Park last month.