'It would take...' - Portsmouth and Sheffield Utd warned 'outstanding' reported target Luke Graham won't come cheap by Dundee

Pompey have been told it will take ‘a really high offer’ to convince Dundee to part company with prized-asset Luke Graham.

Reports emerged this week that the Blues were on the trail of the centre-back and were weighing up a bid for the highly-rated 21-year-old.

Their interest comes at a time when Fratton Park head coach John Mousinho is having to cope with just three fit centre-halves ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round game against Arsenal, after both Hayden Matthews (ankle) and Josh Knight (back) were ruled out for the medium term.

However, Dundee boss Steven Pressley has warned Pompey and others they will need to splash the cash if they want to add Graham to their ranks.

Having worked with Everton and England defender Jarrad Branthwaite during his loan spell at Carlisle, the former Rangers defender sees similarities. As a result, he’s adamant Graham will not be sold on the cheap.

Luke Graham: ‘He’s one of the top ones out there’

Graham has attracted attention following an impressive breakthrough season at Dens Park that has seen him make 20 starts for the Scottish Premiership side.

Pompey, along with Championship rivals Sheffield United and QPR, plus Hearts and Aberdeen, have all been credited with an interest in the defender.

Ane while Dundee would not stand in the player’s way if the right opportunity to develop his career elsewhere came up, they have insisted it would have to be for the right price.

‘Any interest wouldn’t surprise me because I think Luke’s been exceptional. Especially over the last two or three months, he's really grown in stature,’ Pressley told the Daily Record.

‘Although I don't deal with these things, I would imagine it would take a big offer for a club like us to part with him. I think that when I look around at centre-backs, young centre-backs, he's one of the top ones out there.

‘I was lucky that I brought through at Carlisle young Jarrad Branthwaite. He's now an England international, so I've seen first-hand his level. I think Luke Graham looks very comparable to that.

‘I think he's an outstanding young player with a huge future. It would take a really prized offer to get us to sell the player. He's under contract, and also beyond that there's the protection of the compensation.

‘We know we're a club that develop, and we know as well we're a club that obviously if the right offer comes in, you don't want to stand in a player's way. But, equally, when you look at the market, it would take a really high offer for us to consider selling.’

Graham a Scotland under-21 international, is under contract at Dundee until 2027.

Will Pompey spend money during the January transfer window?

After spending around £1m each on Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux and Josh Knight in the summer, Mousinho was asked by The News about money being available for new recruits during the January transfer window.

He responded by saying: ‘It’s an interesting window on that, because there’s very different opportunities in January to the summer.

‘There’s a lot more movement in terms of loans, ones which maybe haven’t worked out at certain clubs and players who’ve stayed at clubs and are now available in January.

‘There’s not the same level of spending with the bigger fees, there’s a number of reasons incoming and outgoing clubs don’t want to do that.

‘There’s no change in terms of what we necessarily need do as a football club, but the priority for us is to make sure we’re strong enough to try to stay in the league.

‘If that means we need to be a bit more short-term and not focus on the longer-term signings and development signings, that’s fine for the football club.

‘There’s always the possibility of that (pushing on from the fees spent in the last year), it just depends on who’s available.

‘What we don’t want to do if waste the club’s money.’

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