Portsmouth rivals place £5m price tag on Middlesbrough target as Wrexham close in on £1.2m midfielder
The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.
There are less than three weeks to go until the new Championship campaign gets underway.
Excitement is building ahead of Pompey’s curtain raiser against Oxford United on August 9, with John Mousinho’s men continuing their preparations.
Despite their pre-season friendly against Crawley being called off at the Broadfield Stadium due to a waterlogged pitch, the Blues did get a run-out against the League Two outfit, with the contest taking place at the club’s Hilsea training base.
John Swift made his first outing following his Fratton Park return on Tuesday, while Colby Bishop was fit to feature after missing the contests against Woking and Farnborough in midweek.
There is still plenty of work to do behind the scenes at PO4, with a number of additions still required.
Elsewhere, the Blues’ Championship rivals are stepping up their summer business as gossip and speculation continues to do the rounds.
Middlesbrough move for Key
Middlesbrough are keen to sign Swansea City defender Josh Key, according to transfer correspondent Alan Nixon.
Boro are reportedly keen to make a move for the right-back this summer as Rob Edwards looks to secure his first addition in charge since his appointment last month.
But the Riverside Stadium outfit face a challenge, with the Swans placing an eye-watering valuation on the right-back.
The report has claimed Alan Sheehan’s men value Key at £5m, having become one of the most prized assets at the club.
The 25-year-old made the move to the Swansea.com Stadium from Exeter City in 2023 and has amassed 78 appearances in all competitions to date. The full-back, who came through the ranks at St James Park, penned a new three-year deal in south Wales this summer.
Key featured 47 times for Swansea last term, which included two outings against Pompey.
Wrexham want midfielder
Wrexham are reportedly closing in on a move for George Thomason, according to Football League World.
The Red Dragons were initially linked with the Bolton Wanderers captain on Thursday, who was also tipped with Huddersfield Town.
However, a deal now appears to be close to completion, with Trotters boss Stephen Schumacher confirming a bid - believed to be £1.2m - has been accepted.
He told the Bolton News after their 2-0 win against Hibs on Saturday: ‘Obviously, George isn't in the squad. We have accepted a bid from a club last week, and he's gone this weekend to do his medical there.
‘I don't want to name clubs and all that because it's not confirmed yet. But that's why George wasn't here, obviously. We'll probably touch on that in a bit more detail next week.’
Derby duel for Windass
Derby County are among the clubs interested in free agent Josh Windass.
Alan Nixon has claimed the Rams face a battle with newly-promoted Wrexham for the 31-year-old’s signature following his recent departure from Sheffield Wednesday.
After unpaid wages for May and June, Windass handed in a 15-day notice, which has since seen his deal mutually terminated.
The striker netted 53 goals and registered 23 assists in 182 appearances for Wednesday during a five-and-a-half-year stay, which also included five outings against Pompey.
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