Peterborough United must avoid Kwame Poku, Ricky-Jade Jones repeat as QPR & Charlton Athletic eye swoop | OneFootball

Peterborough United may need to reluctantly cash in on forward Malik Mothersille this summer amid interest from QPR and Charlton Athletic.

Peterborough United will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in League One next season, but they will have to cope without a number of their key players.

Peterborough have regularly been found competing at the top end of League One over the past decade, but it was a year of struggle for them last season as they only narrowly avoided relegation, although they did at least retain the EFL Trophy to provide some relief for their supporters.

As their summer rebuild begins, Posh have brought in two talented young wingers in Kyrell Lisbie and Declan Frith, but they have lost three of their stars, with Hector Kyprianou, Kwame Poku and Ricky-Jade Jones departing at the end of their contracts after failing to reach an agreement with the club over new deals.

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson will be hoping that there are no further high-profile exits this summer, but he could be set for disappointment as Queens Park Rangers and Charlton Athletic are eyeing up a move for forward Malik Mothersille, which was exclusively revealed by FLW earlier this week.

QPR and Charlton Athletic plotting Peterborough United, Malik Mothersille raid

Mothersille joined Peterborough in the summer of 2023 after leaving Premier League giants Chelsea, and after scoring six goals and providing five assists in 31 appearances during his first year at the Weston Homes Stadium, he took his form to another level last season as he continues to adapt to senior football.

Mothersille scored an impressive 16 goals and registered 10 goals in 57 appearances for Posh last season, and he particularly stepped up during the absence of Poku, who missed over three months of the campaign with a hamstring injury, to save his side from relegation.

After Poku's departure, Peterborough would have been hoping that Mothersille could be the man to lead their charge up the League One table next season, but they could now be vulnerable to losing him as QPR and Charlton circle.

Posh activated their option to extend Mothersille's contract for another year this summer, but should they receive a bid for him, they would be faced with a big decision on whether to cash in or risk him departing for free when his current deal expires next year.

Peterborough saw how the departures of the likes of Josh Knight, Ronnie Edwards, Harrison Burrows and Ephron Mason-Clark affected them last season as they were dragged into a relegation battle, so owner Darragh MacAnthony will be reluctant to sanction Mothersille's exit this summer, but recent developments involving Jones and Poku will give him food for thought when weighing up the 21-year-old's future.

While Peterborough released Poku and Jones at the end of their contracts this summer, they were expecting to receive significant compensation fees for the pair.

However, Jones completed a move to Bundesliga side St Pauli on Saturday, turning down four Championship clubs in the process, and that means Posh will now get a vastly reduced windfall as he has joined a club outside England.

MacAnthony admitted on social media that he was feeling "bitter" about Jones' decision, stating that it had "cost his hometown club a lot of money", but supporters were not sympathetic to the Peterborough owner, with many feeling that he should have secured a transfer fee for the striker when he had the chance.

Last summer, MacAnthony claimed that Posh had rejected bids from six different clubs for Jones, with Sheffield United one of those who had an offer knocked back, and he was the subject of interest from Cardiff City, Middlesbrough and Norwich City in January, but the club will now only receive a minimal compensation sum for the 22-year-old after his move abroad.

MacAnthony also confirmed that he turned down an offer from an unnamed club worth £3 million plus another £3 million in add-ons for Poku last summer, but despite predicting that the club would still make "millions and millions" on the winger after his departure, his proposed switch to Birmingham City is believed to be stalling, and he could follow Jones in making an overseas move.

Having come in for plenty of criticism from the Peterborough faithful for his handling of Poku and Jones' situations, MacAnthony will be keen to avoid a similar saga occurring with Mothersille, but as he is crucial to the club's chances of success in League One next season, the Irishman would be facing a tough call if QPR or Charlton were to firm up their interest.