High-flying EFL outfit emerge as shock rivals for £1.5m Portsmouth target also linked with Celtic and Rangers
Dundee defender Luke Graham was firmly on Pompey’s transfer radar in the January window.
January Pompey target Luke Graham is surprisingly on the radar of a high-flying EFL side following the Blues' failed pursuit of the defender in the winter window.
John Mousinho’s side were in the market for a new centre-back in the January transfer window as the head coach searched for much-needed defensive reinforcements.
Key injuries to Hayden Matthews (ankle), Conor Shaughnessy (quad) and Josh Knight (back) left the Blues short at the back and in need of extra cover.
Madiodio Dia was recruited on deadline day from Norwegian outfit Haugesund on a permanent deal, while the now injured Aji Alese arrived on loan from Sunderland.
But Pompey also had Graham firmly on their shopping list - a player who was also, reportedly, on the radar of Championship rivals QPR and Sheffield United.
The 22-year-old was fancied to bolster the Blues’ defensive ranks straight away after impressing in the Scottish Premiership with Dundee over the first half of the season.
Talks even stretched into deadline day as Mousinho’s troops hoped to prize the highly-rated centre-back away from Dens Park. But the Dark Blues’ asking price is believed to have suddenly sky-rocketed, forcing Pompey to end their pursuit for now.
Lincoln City register interest in Pompey, Celtic and Rangers target
The Blues are expected to go back in for Graham in the summer. However, by then, there’ll be fresh competition for the emerging talent’s signature.
That’s according to transfer guru Alan Nixon, who has claimed promotion-chasing League One outfit Lincoln City are interested in the central defender.
His weekend report suggests the Imps have identified the Scottish talent as a potential target should they make the step up to the Championship at the end of the season.
Michael Skubala’s side currently sit second in the third-tier standings and are crucially 10 points clear of third-placed Bolton Wanderers with 13 games remaining.
Lincoln are just one point behind leaders Cardiff City following a 2-0 win over Mansfield Town on Saturday.
Nixon has claimed Dundee are now valuing Graham at £2m ahead of the summer window.
Pompey could reignite Luke Graham interest
The head coach told The News earlier this month: ‘We will see what the situation is with those players.
‘It’s like Gustavo (Caballero). We missed out on Gustavo in the summer, so we kept an eye on that because we obviously liked the player. We said we’ll see how it pans out over the next three or four months.
‘It happens and that’s absolutely fine (deals aren’t completed), but you never know what could happen at the end back end of the season.
‘We’ll always monitor it and keep an eye on things. Whatever way it goes, we’ve done a lot of work on a lot of these players - so we will keep an eye on their situations.’
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