Portsmouth's League One promotion rivals hold talks with ex-Newcastle United striker

Portsmouth's promotion rivals could be set to snap up a former Premier League striker in a bid to boost their promotion hopes. The League One promotion race remains an exciting one as we head into the final months of the season.

Pompey currently lead Derby County by six points having played a game more and Bolton by nine points but having played three games more. It looks as though it will be those three teams who dominate the automatic promotion race, but Barnsley could yet enter the conversation.

While the transfer window shut almost three weeks ago, clubs are still able to boost their respective seasons with the capture of free agents, and Derby are looking to take advantage of such an opportunity. The Rams are said to be chasing a deal for former Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle.

Gayle was recently released by Stoke City, mutually agreeing to end his contract, and he is now searching for a new club. He may have found one in Derby, although others are also said to be pursuing a deal. Derby boss Paul Warne recently confirmed: "I've got a list of two names and I've gone for my first one and all the paperwork has been done and was handed in yesterday. The EFL are still working with us in trying to make it happen and hopefully it will. We will continue into the start of next week.

"It is Dwight Gayle, but I've met him and he has a couple of other clubs chasing him. We are doing everything we can to get him in the building. But we still have to follow what the EFL want from us. We have done everything we can but hopefully when I go in Monday morning I will get the news that it's all done. At least two other clubs are trying to do the same thing with him. We are in the hands of the EFL."

Gayle, now 34, scored 34 league goals in 113 league appearances for Newcastle, but he managed just three in 45 league appearances for Stoke.