Lincoln City remain in the race for Dundee centre-half Luke Graham, but Portsmouth are now expected to hold talks with the 22-year-old as competition around the defender continues to intensify.
The Imps have already made their pitch for Graham, who is understood to be available for around £1.5 million, but the chase has become increasingly crowded. Portsmouth are now pushing for talks this week, with Pompey believed to be willing to do a deal if they can convince the player that Fratton Park is the right next step.
Alan Nixon has reported that City are ‘still in’ the hunt, while Derby County, Stoke City and Rangers are also hovering. Derby are said to be speaking to other targets, although a potential takeover may affect their priorities, while Stoke are still believed to be interested despite denials elsewhere.
Imps Still In The Graham Race
Graham has been on City’s radar during a summer in which they appear to be looking closely at young defenders with development potential and resale value. The Dundee academy graduate fits that profile, having emerged as one of the more highly regarded defensive prospects in Scotland after a strong season in the Premiership.
It is not the first time Portsmouth have been linked with the player. Pompey reportedly had a £1.5 million bid rejected in January, as Steven Pressley felt it was crucial he stayed to help save their season. However, it seems he’s now likely to move, and the Imps will likely battle Rangers as well as Pompey for his signature. The Glasgow side have been linked before, but their interest appears to have strengthened following the arrival of Derek McInnes, who is expected to reshape his squad this summer.
That makes this a difficult pursuit for the Imps, particularly after Barney Stewart joined West Bromwich Albion recently despite reported Lincoln interest. City have shown before that they can offer a strong pathway, regular senior football and a development environment attractive to younger players, but finances are always significant factors in battles of this nature.
Dundee Facing Summer Decision
Graham came through Dundee’s academy before taking important steps in senior football, including loan spells away from the club. He has since established himself in the first-team picture and has also earned recognition at Scotland youth level, as well as a previous call into the senior Scotland squad.
The scale of the interest around him has been notable. As many as 43 clubs have previously been credited with monitoring Graham, with Lincoln among a group that has also included Norwich City, Preston North End and Charlton Athletic.
There has also been reported interest from outside Britain, with clubs in Germany, Spain, Austria, Portugal and Poland said to have watched the situation. Schalke 04, Valencia, Red Bull Salzburg, Sturm Graz, Famalicao, Lech Poznan and Jagiellonia Bialystok have all been named in connection with the centre-half.
The fact that the Imps remain in the conversation is encouraging, but this is now a race involving clubs with deeper pockets and, in some cases, a higher-level platform. City do have a reputation for pipping Pompey: Josh Griffiths, Morgan Rogers and TJ Eyoma were all linked with them before signing for us.
The coming days and weeks may show whether City can stay close enough to make their pitch count, or whether Graham’s next move is pushed beyond our reach.
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