Sheffield Wednesday League One rivals close in on Portsmouth star as first signing of the summer

Ben Close was due to have a medical today ahead of becoming Doncaster Rovers’ first signing of the summer, reports Doncaster Free Press.

The midfielder has agreed terms with Rovers after opting against signing a new deal with boyhood club Portsmouth.

Rovers boss Richie Wellens has been keen to wrap the deal up quickly in order to avoid a battle for Close’s services. The 24-year-old had indicated his desire to join Rovers prior to Wellens’ family holiday last week but the boss will only breathe easy once the contract is signed.

Meanwhile, members of the Rovers recruitment team will hold talks with several potential signings over the next few days as Wellens continues to put together his squad for next season.

The talks at this stage are understood to be exploratory to gauge whether targets are interested in joining or if an agreement over terms can be reached.

Wellens is keen to have as many signings secured as possible ahead of the return for pre-season training on June 24.

Elsewhere, Portsmouth’s former Barnsley and Rotherham player Ryan Williams is being linked with a move to Oxford United.

Manager Karl Robinson hinted that a deal was on the way and told BBC Radio Oxford he was expectant that a winger would join soon: “We’ll hopefully have a wide player done, I’m expecting a medical this week. We’ve agreed close to what we need to agree with an experienced player.”