Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley has admitted to The News that it will be difficult for the club to offload their unwanted players this month. 

The likes of John Marquis, Ellis Harrison and Paul Downing have all been linked with moves away from Fratton Park this season, with the latter of the trio having been told that they can move elsewhere.

Pompey currently find themselves in a position where they need to sell in order to bring in the players that they want to supplement their existing squad with.

However Cowley has now admitted that the task in hand isn't as simple as it seems, as he stated the following recently on the club's recruitment plans:

"Somebody has got to want the players, then the players have got to want to go.

"There are always three parties involved – and we all want our own way!

"Think of buying a house, times it by ten, and that's how complicated it gets, unfortunately. It shouldn't be that complicated, but somehow it is.

"It can move so quickly and there is interest in a number of our players."

The likes of Marquis, Harrison and Downing remain in the first team squad at present, whilst Michael Jacobs has also been given a new lease of life under Cowley after his proposed move to Ipswich Town fell through last summer.

Pompey are said to be in the market for a new striker and a centre back this month.

The Verdict 

It is certainly a tough situation that Cowley finds himself in on the South Coast and as a result the club will have to work hard to get players off the wage bill over the next few weeks.

Its a task which is easier said than done and it will be interesting to see which players end up moving on as the window progresses.

Marquis and Harrison appear to be attracting plenty of interest, whilst Downing may well be the hardest to shift out of the three.

Its a far from ideal situation but it is one that Cowley will have prepared himself for long in advance of the window.