Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward

Leeds are understood to be one of four Championship clubs vying for the 22-year-old’s signature.

Burnley, Ipswich and Crystal Palace are the other established second-tier teams who have held talks with a defender who has to leave Fratton Park because of Portsmouth’s financial problems.

But according to sources close to Pompey, promoted Wednesday have emerged as rival suitors.

The Owls are understood to have already held preliminary discussions with Ward and his advisers.

Ward – who has made 89 appearances since breaking into the Portsmouth team in 2008 – hopes to finalise his future within the next 24 hours, giving Owls chief Dave Jones little time in which to put an offer on the table.

Ward can fill a number of roles, including right-back and defensive midfield.

Leeds’s talks with him have reached an advanced stage and they remain a front-runner for his signature.

Leeds midfielder Robert Snodgrass, meanwhile, has challenged the club to match his ambitions as he continues to stall over a new contract.

Snodgrass, the subject of a bid by Norwich in January, is mulling over the offer of an extension to his contract, which has a year to run.

After the club failed to return to the top flight this season, Snodgrass has put the onus on manager Neil Warnock to impress him with his squad strengthening this summer.

“I have another year left and they have offered me another contract and my agent is still speaking with them,” said Snodgrass.

“I said that I wanted to take a few weeks away from everything, not make any decisions, and we will start speaking in June.

“The decision doesn’t need to be made right now.

“Being captain of Leeds United in the Premier League would be a dream come true.

“If anyone would have said that when I went down there as a 20-year-old, I wouldn’t have believed them, I don’t think anyone would have.

“But I am living in the real world. We didn’t get there. If things change in terms of bringing players in and getting Premier League class and kicking on, then it’s a no-brainer. You sign the contract and move on.”

Snodgrass, 24, missed this week’s Scotland training camp in America – which concludes with a friendly against the USA in the early hours of Sunday morning – to work on strengthening his problematic back.