Portsmouth transfer gossip: Danny Cowley lining up January swoop for Cheltenham captain Will Boyle who also has Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford on alert

According to Gloucestershire Live, Blues boss Danny Cowley is lining up a move for the centre-back next month as he aims to put in place a transfer strategy that will hopefully boost the Blues’ promotion hopes.

The 26-year-old. who is currently recovering from an ankle ligament injury sustained in October, will be out of contract at the League One new boys at the end of the season.

However, it is believed a six-figure bid in the upcoming transfer window could tempt Robins boss Michael Duff to cash in on his captain.

Boyle is Cheltenham’s longest-serving player, having moved to the Jonny-Rocks Stadium from Huddersfield in 2017.

He has made 174 appearances for last season’s League Two champions, scoring 23 goals – and featured 36 times last season as the Robins earned promotion to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford are reported to have shown an interest in Yorkshire-born Boyle in the past 12 months, with his ball-playing skills at the back and his aerial prowess both apparently improving under Duff’s tutelage.

Now it seems those qualities have roused Cowley’s interest, with a January deal a possibility.

The Blues head coach is in the market for a centre-half, with Clark Robertson, Paul Downing and Connor Ogilvie all suffering injury setbacks this term.

A striker is also a priority for Cowley, who is now anticipated to bring in up to five new players in January following productive talks with chairman Michael Eisner this week.

Boyle hasn’t featured for Cheltenham since picking up his ankle injury in a 1-1 draw with Accrington on October on October 16.

Gloucestershire Live report, though, that the defender is ‘now closing in on his return to full fitness’.