Football Insider have revealed that Stoke City are looking at Portsmouth's 22-year-old centre half Matt Clarke this morning, a move which will send shivers down the spine of the hardiest Pompey fans.

New Potters boss Nathan Jones is keen to add to his defensive ranks this January and the former Ipswich trainee clearly left a mark on him after his Luton side played Portsmouth earlier in the season.

It might be hard for Pompey to resist an approach, meaning they could be facing an uphill battle to replace their star man before next Thursday's transfer deadline.

If Clarke does go, he'll leave a massive hole in the Portsmouth back line. League One clubs are unlikely to relinquish their top talent either, so moves for some other promising defenders such as Liam Lindsay of Barnsley would be off the table.

Instead, Kenny Jackett would need to be savvy about where he shopped to cover the gap until the end of the season. We've got three players in mind who we feel he'd be wise to make a move for if Clarke goes.

Krystian Pearce

Pearce might be 29-years old, but he's been exceptional for Mansfield this season and deserves a chance at a bigger club. He's strong, commanding and has good organisational skills which have led to the Stags only losing one game this season.

He wouldn't be a long-term fix for Pompey, but he'd fill the hole for a season or so until they found a better target.

Jordan Moore-Taylor

The defender has only been with MK Dons six months following a move from Exeter City, but he's comfortable on the ball and can step forward into midfield when needed too.

He's got lots of potential, he's only 24 and that puts him in a similar bracket to Clarke. If he could be tempted away, he might be a good like for like replacement.

Tom James

22-year-old defender James has an extra attribute the other two on the list do not: versatility. He can operate in front of the back four as well as centre half and is a passing defender happy to play out from the back.

He's a tough lad too, strong in the challenge and in dire need of better players around him. He would make an excellent replacement should Clarke move on.