Former Portsmouth defender put up for sale by League One side - less than year after helping Blues win title

The Posh have made the left-back available for a move during the forthcoming summer transfer window after announcing their retained list following the conclusion of their 2024-25 season.

Sparkes, who only joined the Posh last summer for an undisclosed fee and on a three-year deal, is one of four contracted players manager Darren Ferguson is looking to move on during the close season. Fellow first-teamers Bradley Ihionvien, Nicholas Bilokapic and Jacob Wakeling have also been told they have no future at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Star trio Kwame Poku, Hector Kyprianou and Ricky-Jade Jones will also leave the League One side this summer, albeit as free agents after they turned down the offer of new contracts. Meanwhile, David Ajiboye and Kabongo Tshimanga are free to leave, too, with their contracts due to expire at the end of June.

Peterborough finished 18th in League One this season and five points above the relegation zone. In 2023-24 - the year Pompey secured the title and won promotion back to the Championship - they finished sixth and lost to Oxford United in the play-off final as they were denied an instant return to the second tier.

Jack Sparkes to leave Peterborough after just one season

Former Blues defender Sparkes’ availability for transfer will not come as a surprise to the Posh faithful.

Signed off the back of his contribution to Pompey’s title win, the attacking full-back made 28 Posh appearances over the first half of the season and scored one goal.

Yet he was allowed to join Paul Cook’s Chesterfield on loan in January after being told Peterborough wanted to go in a different direction.

Confirming the former Exeter man’s departure during the winter transfer window Ferguson told the club website: ‘I had a chat with Jack a couple of weeks ago and it was an honest conversation. Sometimes signings don't work out as well as you would hope.

‘We wanted to go in a different direction in that position, which is why we brought in Tayo (Edun, from Charlton), who I thought performed very well on Saturday.’

At the Spireites, Sparkes has made 10 appearances and registered three assists - a contribution that’s helped Cook & Co make the League Two play-offs.

A knee injury picked up in March has seen the player sit out the past 10 matches, although the left-back is expected to be available for Chesterfield’s play-off semi-final games against Walsall.

Signed on a free transfer by John Mousinho from Exeter in the summer of 2023, Sparkes made a good impression on his one and only season at Fratton Park.

His attacking prowess from defence made him a real asset, with his powerful runs and eye for a cross helping him register six assists for Pompey during their race for the League One title.

Following 43 appearances for the club in all competitions, he was allowed to leave PO4 as they aimed to put together a squad capable of competing in the Championship.

Aussie Jacob Farrell was signed as Sparkes’ replacement and to increase competition at left-back for Connor Ogilvie. Although, he made just one appearance all season as his debut campaign in English football was disrupted by a knee injury.

For your next Pompey read: Portsmouth chief Rich Hughes: We will never shy away from making unpopular player decisions