Charlton Athletic run rule over £1.5m Portsmouth target as fresh Championship competition emerges

Pompey face fresh competition for January target Luke Graham, according to reports in Scotland.

The 22-year-old was firmly on the transfer radar of the football operations at Fratton Park during the winter window as John Mousinho looked to bolster his backline.

The Blues were unsuccessful in their quest to land the centre-back, with Dundee rejecting several late bids which began at £1.5m.

The Dark Blues’ valuation of Graham sky-rocketed as the market reached its final knockings, with talks taking place right up until deadline day.

Following the window’s close in February, the Scotland youth international has continued to flourish and was recently nominated for the PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year award after a brilliant breakthrough campaign at Dens Park.

The former Falkirk loanee’s standing in the game has once again grown, having established himself as a frontline operator in Steven Pressley’s defence this term.

And his impressive rise hasn’t gone unnoticed, with reports north of the border in February suggesting Celtic and Rangers were both circling alongside Lincoln City.

Indeed, fresh interest has emerged from the Championship, with Charlton Athletic said to have Graham firmly on their radar.

The Scottish Daily Record have revealed the Addicks sent scouts to Dundee’s recent derby defeat against Dundee United to run the rule over the young talent.

The article has also added Blackburn Rovers are keeping tabs on Graham’s situation as he enters the final 12 months of his Dens Park deal.

As competition for his signature grows, Pressley conceded earlier this month the Dark Blues would cash in on the academy graduate - but only for the right price.

Alongside interest from Pompey, Lincoln, Charlton and Blackburn, Scottish duo Rangers and Celtic are also keen as well as other European outfits.

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John Mousinho on reviving Luke Graham interest

Pompey missed out on securing Graham’s services late in the window, despite offering an initial fee of Dundee’s £1.5m record before their valuation increased sharply.

Mousinho explained after the close of the winter market that a lot of groundwork had been put in over their missed January targets, which may not necessarily go to waste in the summer.

The head coach told The News in February: ‘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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