Faint Portsmouth transfer hopes dealt further blow as 'medical booked' for Sheffield United, Coventry, Derby and Celtic 'target'

Blues boss John Mousinho is a big admirer of the left-back who guided Posh to a fourth-place finish in League One and captained them to EFL Trophy glory at Wembley last season. But he knew luring the highly-rated youngster to Fratton Park following promotion was always going to be fraught with difficulties.

The list of clubs reportedly keen on the Peterborough Academy product made sure of that, with Celtic, Sheffield United, Coventry, Derby and Norwich all credited with interest. The fact that Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony is renowned for driving a hard bargain when it comes to transfers fees for his players also represented a minefield the Blues would find arduous to navigate.

On that basis alone, Pompey - who re-signed Connor Ogivlie on a new two-year deal at the weekend - are best looking elsewhere for a more viable option to bolster their defensive ranks.

That’s sound advice, too, when considering the latest transfer update on Burrows’ future. Indeed, the most recent update on the player from our sister paper, The Peterborough Telegraph, suggests the left-footer has been booked in for a medical at Sheffield United. That pre-signing necessity is supposed to take place this week, which suggests a move is imminent.

The Telegraph have since reported that the development is not something Posh want to comment on. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting an ongoing change of ownership at Bramall Lane is likely to complicate any deal for Burrows, who has 12 months left on his London Road deal. It’s widely known that the Blades need to sell before they can buy, despite three of the past five years spent in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, the news reinforces the opinion within Fratton Park that a move for Burrows would have been too ambitious at this moment.

The agreement to extend Ogilvie’s PO4 stay for another two years means Pompey have secured the services of a player who they firmly believe can step up to the challenges of the Championship. 

Yet, there could well still be an alternative to Burrows signed in that position before the transfer window closes. Pompey will have quickly moved on in their hunt for new recruits as speculation over the Posh defender’s future continues to drag on.