Portsmouth have faltered in the league in recent weeks and have slipped from league leaders to third in the League One table.

Kenny Jackett’s side have not won in five games and are now seven points off the summit of the third tier.

There have been several factors as to why Pompey have slumped in recent weeks, be it injuries and players recalled from being on loan.

The likes of Andrew Green and Ben Thompson from Aston Villa and Millwall respectively played a huge part in the side’s progression up the table to give them a sizable lead before their dip.

Thompson was arguably the lynchpin of Jackett’s side, and his absence has been felt massively, having featured 23 times, scoring twice in a spell that endeared him to the club’s fans.

The transfer window may be closed, but there is still scope to add players who are free agents.

And there is one in particular who stands out as the perfect Thompson replacement.

That man is former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Mark Davies, 30, who has been without a club since leaving the Championship strugglers at the end of last season.

With that said, here are TWO reasons Kenny Jackett must move now for Thompson's Portsmouth replacement.

Technically sound

Davies was a key player during Bolton’s Premier League years before their eventual relegation to the second tier.

Before dropping down the league, there was interest from teams higher up the food chain for the impressive midfield who was comfortably the best ball-player at the Trotters.

If he were to head back to League One, having played there for Bolton two years ago, he has the ability to dictate the play in the middle of the part and be a more than adequate replacement for the Millwall man.

Think of Davies as an older, more experienced Thompson, but a less energetic one and more composed man in the middle.

A low-risk addition

Portsmouth are not flushed with cash and have been keeping within their means since the financial issues the club had in the past.

With Davies out of a club since the summer, it’s doubtful he will be too picky if a club of Portsmouth’s stature and size in a league, doing well, and looking like being on the up come calling.

And because he’s been without a club for a while, it’s highly-unlikely the midfielder will cost them too much and could be a game changer for their promotion hopes.

Portsmouth have looked a shadow of themselves in recent weeks without their loan players – and adding Davies could give them some steel in the middle that they have desperately lacked.