Marc Wilson

West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo has not ruled out a renewed bid for Marc Wilson but he admits that it will be difficult to force a deal when Portsmouth do not want to sell.

Pompey boss Steve Cotterill revealed last week that his club had rejected a bid from the Premier League Baggies for his captain, with skysports.com having broken the news earlier in August.

Wilson has been excellent for Portsmouth in the opening matches of this season and his versatility makes him an attractive prospect for top-flight new boys West Brom, who were hammered by Chelsea last weekend.

Di Matteo has remained coy on making another approach for Wilson but he does acknowledge that Cotterill is unlikely to sell one of his best players.

"We made an offer for Wilson and it's been rejected," the West Brom boss told the Birmingham Mail. "As he is not our player I won't comment too much on it.

"It's difficult to say what will happen because if a club doesn't want to sell we can't do much."

Steve Cotterill has hit out at West Ham for poaching staff from Portsmouth but warned that Marc Wilson will be harder to prise away.

Avram Grant managed Pompey last season before leaving over the summer to take charge at Upton Park.

He then appointed senior coach Paul Groves and goalkeeping coach David Coles, while Cotterill says the club analyst could soon be on his way to West Ham as well.

The Portsmouth boss is unhappy with the situation but does not expect the Hammers to try and sign defender Wilson.

The highly-rated 23-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League club and Cotterill hopes that if Grant is interested he will conduct his business in an appropriate manner.

"Surely West Ham have done their swooping on Portsmouth, There is a manager, assistant manager and a goalkeeping coach," Cotterill told Sky Sports News.

Sympathy

"From what I hear as well they are going to be nicking our analyst, so I am sure there is nothing else that Avram wants to take from me.

"I'm sure he'll look down at us with some sympathy and not put in a bid for Marc Wilson.

"I would hope he'd come to me but he hasn't done about our analyst."

Cotterill maintains that Wilson remains an integral part of his plans at Fratton Park and will not be going anywhere.

Asked what would happen if the player hinted he wanted to leave, Cotterill replied: "It doesn't matter if he does. He is captain and I want him here."

Portsmouth’s administrator Andrew Andronikou confirmed that the initial bid of €3.6million plus add-ons has been rejected by Portsmouth but has not ruled out the possibility of the Portsmouth captain leaving Fratton Park before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

He said: “Steve Cotterill does not want to sell such an important player. At the moment, as a club he is not a player we have identified to sell. We will have to wait and see what happens."

It is the second time this summer that the midlands club managed by Roberto Di Matteo have tried to sign the Irish player, who can play in midfield or as a defender.

Born in Armagh, Wilson played for Northern Ireland at Under-15 and Under-17 level before opting to switch allegiances to the Republic of Ireland.

An eligibility dispute between the IFA and the FAI surrounding Wilson, Darron Gibson and Daniel Kearns was resolved at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in favour of the FAI in July of this year.

Wilson (23) has been capped at Under-21 level for the Republic of Ireland and was an unused substitute in Giovanni Trappatoni’s senior squad for the friendly against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium in March. He has not been included in Ireland’s squad for the first two games in the European Championship qualifiers against Armenia and Andorra next month.

Stoke are signing Portsmouth captain Marc Wilson for £3million plus striker Dave Kitson. 

Manager Steve Cotterill revealed on Wednesday that Wilson could be sold by the time he prepares his side for the visit of Cardiff City in the Championship this weekend.

Switch: Wilson is set for Stoke, while Kitson will join the Championship strugglers

Pompey have already turned down two bids of £2.5m and £3m from West Bromwich Albion for the midfielder having previously insisted their captain was not for sale

But Stoke manager Tony Pulis looks certain to pip West Brom to the 23-year-old midfielder after talks were held on Wednesday.

Pulis will off-load Kitson, plus possibly one further player, three seasons after paying £5.5m to Reading for the hit-man.