Bristol Rovers transfer windfall affected as Portsmouth close in on signing with exits at Exeter and Leyton Orient

The off-season continues for Bristol Rovers - but we’re just 10 days away from finding out the 2023/24 League One fixtures.

Rovers are hoping to build on their 18th-placed finish, with Joey Barton hoping to guide the Gas to the Championship in the next two seasons. The club haven’t experienced second-tier football in 30 years, and the closest they got, was losing to Huddersfield Town in the 1995 play-off final.

League One looks to be an open division next season, with the only big hitters being Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic, Derby County, and Portsmouth. Rovers could be a surprise package, but a strong transfer window is needed, and the registration period opens at midnight on Wednesday, June 14, where hopefully business will pick up.

Here’s the latest headlines about Bristol Rovers’ League One rivals, which includes some news about their former players.

Sercombe set for Cheltenham stay

Liam Sercombe is set to put an end transfer speculation by signing a new deal with Cheltenham. An unnamed League One club, and several League Two teams had been interested in him according to GloucestershireLive, with his future ‘in the balance’ but now the feeling is he’ll remain at Whaddon Road. He was a transfer target for Bristol Rovers back in January 2022, but there is no suggestion that he was on their transfer shortlist this summer.

Former Bristol Rovers pair attracting transfer interest

Three League One clubs are said to be interested in former Rovers midfielder Oliver Norburn, who is available for transfer at Peterborough United.

Barry Fry, the director of football at London Road, claims that Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic have all made enquiries, but no offers have yet been lodged for the Grenada international.

"There has been plenty of interest in Ollie,” Fry said to the Peterborough Telegraph. “He’s been informed, but so far there have been no bids which is also the case with several other transfer listed players.

Jonson Clarke-Harris - who finished joint top scorer, is available for transfer after being put on the transfer list as Posh go in a younger direction. It has been suggested that the 28-year-old could move to a League One rival, rather than the Championship by a key figure at his current club It would likely mean a lesser transfer fee which would mean a smaller windfall from the 20% sell-on-clause they have on Clarke-Harris.

"As you’d expect clubs are calling about Jonno,” Fry said. “Any League One club serious about winning promotion should want Jonno as he’d guarantee 25-35 goals a season with the right service.”

Key Exeter pair expected to depart

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell expects Archie Collins and Josh Key to depart the Grecians this summer. Both players came through the academy at St James Park, and should they depart Exeter would be entitled to compensation after offering them contracts.

"We’ve offered both of those players the best contract we could, I think it looks like both of them are going to be moving on. "As yet I haven’t had any contact with any other club for them, but they have intimated that they want to look and see what’s out there, which is fine."

"They’ve been fantastic players for the club, they came through the academy and been there a long time," added Caldwell.

"If they do leave then we do wish them all the best, but as a club we always have to be looking to what’s next and how we move on from that."

Portsmouth set sights on new goalkeeper

Pompey are on the search for a new goalkeeper after Rovers academy Matt Macey returned to Luton Town.

Their search has led them to entering discussions with Will Norris, who was released from Burnley this summer. Football Insider say several clubs had been tracking Norris, but it is John Mousinho’s side who have seemingly won his signature.

Leyton Orient set to lose goalkeeper

League Two promotion winner Lawrence Vigouroux is set for a shock move to the Premier League with Burnley.

According to the Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, the 29-year-old is set to leave Leyton Orient, and link up with Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor. He is out of contract at the end of the month, and was ever present for the O’s.