Sources: Portsmouth, Burton and Crewe set sights on signing Wilson on free transfer
Portsmouth, Burton Albion and Crewe Alexandra are chasing Australian midfielder Brandon Wilson, Football Insider understands.
The Australia U23 international came through Burnley’s academy and holds an English passport.
A recruitment source told Football Insider that he is out of contract at Perth Glory in the Australian A-League and has rejected several offers of a new deal.
His free-agent status makes him attractive to EFL clubs as the pyramid continues to suffer the economic fallout from the pandemic.
Wilson swapped East Lancashire for Australia in 2016 when the midfielder signed for Perth Glory as a 19-year-old.
Prior to that, Wilson spent three years with the Clarets, playing for their under-18s and under-21s.
Back in the country where he spent his youth, Wilson played 58 times for Perth, winning the A-League in 2018-19.
He switched to Wellington Phoenix in January 2020 but his time at the club proved short-lived.
Citing “personal reasons,” Wilson negotiated a mutual termination of his Phoenix contract in October to allow him to return to Perth.
He has featured 15 times this season for the Western Australia side, who are currently 9th in the A-League standings.
The three-time Australia U 23 international is capable of playing in both conventional and defensive midfield roles.
Wilson was nicknamed “Juan Mata” during his days at Turf Moor and is eligible to play for Botswana, the country of his birth.
Portsmouth finished just two points outside the play-off places in League One last season.
Crewe Alexandra and Burton Albion meanwhile finished 12th and 16th in the third-tier respectively.
In other news, Crewe Alexandra forward Owen Dale targetted by a string of EFL clubs.