Portsmouth rivals chase £17m Chelsea talent as Nottingham Forest plot £8m Birmingham City swoop
The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.
Attention is turning to the January transfer window, which is starting to appear on the horizon for Pompey.
The Blues have had a strong start to the new Championship campaign and head into the second international break of the season, sitting two points outside of the play-offs in 11th.
According to respected transfer specialist Rudy Galetti, Pompey are leading the race to sign the left-back in the January window after an impressive start to the season in the Danish top-flight.
As the rumour mill begins to turn on the south coast, transfer gossip and speculation is starting to ramp up across the division as the winter window closes in.
Here are the latest headlines involving the Blues’ second-tier rivals.
Nottingham Forest chase Birmingham City defender
Birmingham City are bracing for interest in star defender Phil Neumann, according to fresh reports.
Sky Germany reporter Dennis Bayer has claimed the 29-year-old is on the radar of a number of top flight clubs across Europe after an excellent start to the campaign.
The centre-back has been an ever-present for the in-form Blues, who currently top the Championship standings after the opening 15 matches.
Having started all league games for Chris Davies’ side so far, Neumann is reportedly being tracked by Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest as well as Italian side Fiorentina.
A move as early as January has been touted for the former Germany youth international as his stock continues to grow at St Andrews.
The report also states the Championship leaders currently value the powerful defender between €5m and €10m (£8.3m), with 18 months still to run on the three-year deal he penned on arrivals.
Neumann completed a free-transfer switch from German second-tier side Hannover 96 in July 2025 and has since netted five goals in his 52 appearances in all competitions.
After a hectic schedule for Mousinho’s troops before the international break, their tough fixture list continue after the stoppage, with in-form Birmingham making the trip to Fratton Park in December.
Blackburn Rovers plot Chelsea raid
Blackburn Rovers are reportedly keen on Chelsea youngster Kendry Paez in the January transfer window.
The Premier League outfit are said to be searching for suitable loan options during the second half of the campaign for the 19-year-old.
As the market approaches, TEAMtalk have revealed Pompey’s Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers are looking to land the winger on a temporary basis.
Tony Mowbray’s side face competition to secure his services, though, with Scottish champions Celtic also believed to be interested as Chelsea weigh up their options.
Paez made the move to Stamford Bridge from Ecuadorian top-flight side Independiente del Valle in May 2025 for £17m, but is yet to register a first-team outing for Xabi Alonso’s side.
He has since spent time on loan with Strasbourg and River Plate, but the attacker failed to impress during his respective stints.
Blackburn are monitoring the situation ahead of the window, where Mowbray will be looking to bolster his forward ranks with Rovers currently sitting one point behind Pompey in 13th.