Portsmouth's rivals handed potential transfer boost as League One club receive £1.5m bid for star midfielder

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

And Kenny Jackett’s side also lost against Championship 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.

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:

Ipswich Town have set their sights on signing Preston North End’s former Manchester United midfielder Josh Harrop. The League One club are working on a January loan deal until the end of the season. (Football Insider)

Preston North End have agreed a few of £1.5m for Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ben Whiteman. (Football Insider)

Brentford are believed to be leading the race to sign Peterborough United winger Siriki Dembele. However, Celtic and Rangers also remain interested. (The Sun)

Blackburn Rovers under-23s goalkeeper Hilton joins the Fleetwood Town on a seven-day emergency loan. (Blackburn Rovers – official club account)

In a potential boost for the Black Cats, St Johnstone won’t stop reported Sunderland target Scott Tanser returning to England amid interest from the League One outfit, manager Callum Davidson has explained.

He said: “If there was a good offer for him I obviously wouldn’t stop him going back down the road but there are a lot of things he’ll need to factor into the equation – one of them being he’s playing in a position he really likes, wing-back. (The Courier)

Celtic have joined the Kyle Joseph transfer chase as Scottish champions eye another cross-border signing. The Wigan Athletic striker has was being eyed by Rangers too but the latest reports have suggested otherwise. (Daily Record)