German giants open talks with Portsmouth rivals ahead of £17.1m move as Championship side eye Leeds ace

Planning is already underway behind the scenes at Fratton Park as the Blues prepare for another season back in the second-tier.

There’s no doubt John Mousinho’s men will be looking to progress next term as they bid to build on their 16th-placed finish in their first campaign back.

Although links with Northern Ireland youth international Tomas Galvin were rubbished last month, Pompey are believed to be interested in Crystal Palace talent Hindolo Mustapha.

Meanwhile, the Blues are set to announce their retained list later this week, with decisions to be made on a number of key out-of-contract players in the squad.

Elsewhere, there’s plenty of gossip and speculation doing the rounds across the Championship as rivals begin to plan for a busy summer.

Here are the latest headlines from across the second tier.

Dortmund demand Bellingham deal

Borussia Dortmund officials have reportedly flown over to the UK to hold talks with Sunderland over midfielder Jobe Bellingham.

According to reports in Germany, head coach Niko Kovac, managing director Lars Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl jetted over to Newcastle to discuss a potential summer move, worth a believed £17.1m.

The 19-year-old would following in his brother Jude’s footsteps, who made the move to the Signal Iduna Park Stadium in 2020.

Discussions over Bellingham’s future comes just two days before the Black Cats’ play-off first-leg tie against Coventry City. Regis Le Bris men finished fourth in the regular season, with the midfielder appearing 40 times - including two outings against Pompey earlier in the campaign.

Wrexham want Bamford

Wrexham have been given a reported £2.5m price tag if they want to pursue a move for Leeds United title winner Patrick Bamford, according to TEAMtalk.

It was reported Pompey’s new Championship rivals were interested in the 31-year-old, who looks set to depart Elland Road this summer.

The striker, who has spent six years with the Whites, is entering the final 12 months of his current deal. However, an injury-hit campaign saw Bamford miss large parts of the season - including March’s 1-0 defeat to the Blues at Fratton Park.

After signing in 2018, the former Middlesbrough striker has netted 60 goals and registered 24 assists in his 206 outings for Leeds.

Now it appears Wrexham are looking to splash the cash for the two-time Championship promotion winner as they prepare for life back in the second-tier.

With Phil Parkinson looking to strengthen, the Welsh outfit have also been linked with Plymouth’s Ryan Hardie as well as Cardiff’s Callum Robinson.

Hull hope for Gelhardt return

Bamford might not be the only striker who could be departing Elland Road this summer, with Hull keen to bring back Joe Gelhardt.

The 22-year-old spent the second half of the campaign on loan at the MKM Stadium, where he played a key role in the Tigers’ survival. In fact, the frontman led the line at Fratton Park on the final day as they sealed safety with the 1-1 draw at PO4.

Although Ruben Selles’ future is under the spotlight, Hull are believed to be keen to bring Gelhardt back to the club next season - although a move will be determined by his price tag.

According to HullLive, the Tigers will be hoping to bring the former Sunderland forward back to the north east on a permanent deal depending on his fee. Gelhardt scored five goals in his 20 appearances for the club following his January loan arrival.

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