Portsmouth transfer news: Promotion rivals lose £1.5m star as League One outfit sign £600k striker

Portsmouth were defeated by Peterborough United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night.

And Kenny Jackett’s side also lost against Championship outfit Bristol City in the FA Cup third round last weekend.

In League One, Pompey are in third position, with 35 points from 10 played and three points adrift of Hull city but with a game in hand

But there’s also plenty of transfer talk ahead of an interesting transfer window for many clubs up and down the EFL pyramid.

Jackett and co have weeks to finalise any potential winter business with the deadline set at 11pm on February 1.

Interestingly, a former Pompey man has been linked with a return to England, whilst Portsmouth's divisional rivals eye some impressive deals.

So what’s the latest gossip surrounding Portsmouth and their League One rivals?

As always, we’re sharing the latest rumours from around the third tier – so scroll down to see the latest news and talk from around the internet:

On-loan Brighton & Hove Albion defender Alex Cochrane is a target for Sunderland after Denver Hume was ruled out for two months with a hamstring injury. The Black Cats are said to have initiated talks with the Premier League club. (Argus)

Nottingham Forest are looking at the possibility of signing Plymouth Argyle striker Luke Jephcott. (The Athletic)

Cameron McGeehan has been linked with a return to England after turning down a return to Portsmouth during the summer. (Football Insider/Portsmouth News)

Chelsea have let striker Charlie Brown leave on a permanent deal, with the 21-year-old joining League One side MK Dons. The fee paid is believed to be around £600,000. (Various)

Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson has revealed that the club have had offers for midfielder former Walsall midfielder George Dobson, who is out of favour at the Stadium of Light. (Sunderland Echo)

Wigan Athletic are reportedly demanding £1m from potential suitors for Celtic, Rangers and Tottenham target Kyle Joseph. (The Athletic)

League One and Championship clubs are circling Wigan’s Tom Pearce. (Football Insider)

The big news is that Doncaster Rovers’ star midfielder Ben Whiteman has been bought by Championship outfit Preston North End for an undisclosed fee.

The deal for the 24-year-old was finalised on Thursday morning after Whiteman had agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract and passed a medical earlier in the week.

Although the fee is undisclosed because of EFL rules, it is understood to be in the region of £1.5m, plus add-ons.

Speaking after the move, Whiteman said: "I'm over the moon to be at this massive football club.

"There weren’t many sides that I would have moved onto from Doncaster, but this ticked all the boxes and once I spoke to the manager it was a no brainer for me.

“As soon as I had finished with him, I had made my mind up straight away. He spoke very well and spoke very highly of the football club and I can’t wait to start.”