After narrowly missing out on promotion to the Championship last month, Portsmouth will be aiming to go one better next season.

Yet in order to achieve this particular goal, it is imperative that boss Kenny Jackett gets his recruitment spot on this summer as a failure to do so could hamper his side's chances of success.

With the margins in League One proving ever so tight during the 2018/19 campaign, it is of little surprise that Pompey have been linked with a move for one of Scottish football's most lethal attackers.

According to the News, the Hampshire-based outfit are reportedly interested in signing Ayr United forward Lawrence Shankland who is also a target for the likes of Sunderland and Nottingham Forest.

If this is indeed true, Portsmouth must consider both the positives and the negatives that signing the 23-year-old could have on their fortunes next year before committing themselves to a deal.

With this in mind, we have set out two pros and two cons based on Shankland's exploits during his career.

Check them out below...

Pros

Shankland has all the skills needed to thrive in League One

Since joining Ayr in 2017, Shankland has taken his game to new heights with his performances last season helping the club secure a fourth place finish in the Scottish Championship.

A natural goal-scorer, the former St Mirren loanee managed to find the back of the net on 34 occasions, a stunning total which if repeated in League One next year would undoubtedly propel Portsmouth to promotion.

Given Shankland's potential, it may be worth Jackett taking a risk on him as it could turn out to be a masterstroke if he delivers.

He would offer something different to Pompey's current attacking options

Whereas both Brett Pitman and Oliver Hawkins offer different qualities when selected by Jackett, it could be argued that by signing Shankland, the ex-Millwall boss will be adding even further depth to his attacking options.

Superb in the air whilst also being very nimble with his feet, the forward could cause havoc in League One, especially if he can build a relationship with one of the aforementioned players.

Cons

He has no previous experience of playing in English football

Having never played outside of his home country, a move to England could end up being disastrous for Shankland if he fails to make the correct changes to his game.

Whereas staying at Ayr would be a safe choice for the former Scotland under-21 international, a move to Pompey would be an almighty risk to take as an inability to live up to expectations may cause his career more harm than good.

He has failed elsewhere before

Although it is fair to say that Shankland has been playing the best football of his career over the past two years, there is no guarantee that he will be able to replicate this elsewhere.

In fact, when you consider he struggled to make an impact for the likes of Aberdeen,  St Mirren and Greenock Morton before joining Ayr, it may be worth Portsmouth diverting their attention towards a player who has a proven track-record of delivering in the lower leagues instead of wasting their time on Shankland.