Premier League and Championship sides chase defender after £1.5m Portsmouth bid
West Ham and Southampton are tracking the defender, who had interest from Pompey in the summer.
Pompey had a seven-figure bid knocked back last summer for up-and-coming defender Roggerio Nyakossi, according to reports.
Now, it is believed Premier League and Championship clubs are looking to land the OH Leuven man this month after an outstanding start to the season in Belgium.
John Mousinho was looking to strengthen his backline during the summer window, as he prepared for the Blues’ second successive campaign back in the second tier.
Josh Knight was recruited from Hannover 96 for a reported fee of £1m, while other names including West Brom’s Krystian Bielik were also touted with a switch to PO4.
As Pompey went in search for new central-defensive options, Switzerland’s U21 international Nyakossi was also someone reportedly on the radar at Fratton.
The Sun’s revealed the Blues showed serious interest in the 21-year-old during the summer, which saw them place a £1.5m bid for his services.
That seven-figure offer was turned down by OH Leuven, with the article stating Felic Mazzu’s men had put a higher valuation on the central defender’s head.
It remains to be seen if the Blues will renew their reported interest this month, but new admirers from English football have been touted to land the emerging talent before the February 2 deadline.
The same report has claimed West Ham have already made checks on Nyakossi, as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to improve his backline for the Hammers’ Premier League relegation battle.
Meanwhile, Southampton are also said to be keen along with a host of unnamed Championship clubs as the young defender’s stock grows.
Roggerio Nyakossi’s career to date
After coming through the ranks with Swiss outfit Servette, Nyakossi made the move to Ligue 1 side Marseille in 2022.
The Switzerland U21 captain failed to register a first-team appearance with the French top-flight club during his two-and-a-half-year stay at the Stade Velodrome, with his sole appearances coming in the youth side.
The central defender made the move to OH Leuven in January 2025 for a reported fee of £800,000 and made five outings during the second half of last term.
Despite Pompey’s reported £1.5m bid in the summer, Nyakossi has had a strong start to the season, which has seen him net two goals in 11 Jupiler Pro League appearances this term.
The young centre-back has 18 months remaining on his current terms at the Den Dreef Stadium.
Pompey’s central defensive options
It remains to be seen what the Blues’ plans at the heart of the defence are, with five options currently in Mousinho’s disposal.
Mousinho is currently well-stocked in defence. Regan Poole has been an ever-present for Pompey in the league this term, while Conor Shaughnessy has recently returned from a long-term hamstring injury.
Ibane Bowat remains available for the Blues, while Knight continues his recovery from a back issue along with Hayden Matthews, who suffered an issue against Bristol City last week.
Selling, loaning out or deregistering options at the back could free up squad space, however.