Portsmouth rivals Derby linked with top League One duo as Leeds striker hands Wrexham transfer blow

There’s still more than a move to go until the summer transfer window opens on Monday June 16 - but that has’t stopped the transfer mill churning out names that Pompey are reportedly interested in.

The latest development arrived on Friday, with the Blues being credited with an interest in Hibernian’s on-loan Sunderland midfielder Nectar Triantis.

The 21-year-old Australian has featured 35 times for the Easter Road outfit this season as they strive to secure European football for next term. His performances have seen the deep-lying midfielder short-listed for the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award. They have also attracted interest from south of the border, with reports in Scotland claiming the Blues are keeping tabs on the former Central Coast Mariners man, who has two years remaining on his current Black Cats contract.

As soon as we get a steer on that link, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, here’s some transfer gossip involving some of the Blues’ Championship rivals.

Leeds Uniteds striker hands Wrexham transfer blow

New-promoted Wrexham’s hopes of landing Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford have suffered a blow.

The 31-year-old forward, who is expected to leave Elland Road this summer following the Whites’ promotion to the Premier League, has this week been speaking of his wish to move to the MLS.

The former Middlesbrough front man told CBS Sports: ‘I think it's something that, obviously over time I’ve spoke to Michaela (his wife) about it, in terms of playing abroad, and America being one of the options.

‘It was something that when I was younger I always wanted to do at some point in my career, to kind of experience it, experience a new country, the living the lifestyle there and also trying myself in a new league.

‘I think once you have a family and a wife it’s got to be run by them and to be fair they gave it the green light, and they said “look, we’re going to go with whatever’s for you and whatever challenge you want to want to take”, so it is something that I would be open to, yeah. We just don’t know when yet.’

Bamford has a year remaining on his Leeds contract. The centre-forward’s 2024-25 campaign was hampered by injury, which restricted him to just 17 substitute appearances during the Whites’ Championship-winning campaign and zero goals.

He featured in Leeds’ 3-3 draw against Pompey on the opening day of the season, coming off the bench as a 79th-minute substitute.

Derby County want Lincoln and Charlton stars

With Derby’s Championship status secured thanks to their draw with Stoke on the final day of the season, they’re looking to build on this term’s 19th-place finish.

And, according to reports, that will see boss John Eustace immediately turn his attentions to firming up his defence over the summer.

Lincoln City captain and central defender Paudie O’Conner - whose curent Imps deal expires next month - is one player the Rams are being linked with. That rumour comes as former Pompey defender Matt Clarke’s short-term deal with the Pride Park side nears it’s conclusion, while fellow centre-back Nat Phillips’ loan from Liverpool has ended.

Derby - who returned to the Championship alongside Pompey in 2024 - are also being credited with an interest in Charlton wing-back Thierry Small, whose current deal is also entering it’s final weeks.

The former Southampton and Everton man is currently on a mission to get the Addicks back into the second tier, with Nathan Jones’ side in play-off semi-final action against Wycombe on Sunday.

There’ll be plenty of interest in that game from afar, with Preston North End, Millwall, Blackburn and Oxford United also reportedly keen on Small.

Sunderland midfielder wanted by German giants

Sunderland’s bid to return to the Premier League has an unwelcome distraction.

Less than 24 hours after they beat Coventry City 2-1 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final, midfielder Jobe Bellingham is being linked with a big-money move to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

And things seem to be at an advanced stage, with Sky in Germany reporting that representatives from Dortmund - including managing director Lars Ricken and head coach Niko Kovac - were in England on Wednesday to thrash out a deal.

The 2024 Champions League finalists bought Bellingham’s older brother Jude for £25m from Birmingham City in 2020.

The England midfielder is currently plying his trade with Real Madrid following his £88.5m transfer to the Bernabeu in 2023. Now the German outfit are looking to repeat that trick with a move for 19-year-old Jobe, who has made 41 appearances for the Black Cats this season.

According to Flashscore.co.uk, the midfielder as a transfer value of 21.8m euros.

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