Portsmouth will be desperate to recruit well this summer in order to ensure they are back battling for a League One promotion next season - and one player that Danny Cowley wants a reunion with is Hayden Carter.

The 22-year-old spent time with Pompey on a loan deal last season and impressed during his short stay at Fratton Park.

He made 22 league appearances in total for the club and scored one goal along the way despite being a defender. The player didn't look out of place in League One though and now it appears as though Portsmouth are eyeing another deal for Carter this transfer window.

Whether that will be sanctioned or not remains to be seen, with his parent club Blackburn now led by a new manager. However, The News has reported that Cowley is still hopeful that a deal could be done but that the boss has admitted he may have to wait for a decision over the player's future going forward.

Carter has played in just 12 league games for Rovers so far in his career and managed only five starts prior to joining up with Portsmouth on a short-term basis last season. The signs are that he might not be needed at Ewood Park then and Cowley would be happy to take him back it appears, as would a few others according to the manager.

Portsmouth are seemingly one of those clubs - but whether they will be able to get him back could largely depend on Blackburn's new boss and whether he gives it the go ahead.

Speaking to The News, Cowley said: "I think we have to be open minded.

"No one can really read the situation, Blackburn didn’t have a manager until last week. He will naturally take some time to evaluate his squad, and we will see off the back of that."

The Verdict

Hayden Carter clearly made quite the impression with Portsmouth on loan last season to warrant Danny Cowley wanting him back and the option to have him again doesn't seem out of the realms of possibility.

Considering how little he has featured for Blackburn so far over the course of his career, you wouldn't be surprised to see Rovers let him leave again this summer or even cut ties with him completely now that there is a new man at the helm in Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Portsmouth would seemingly be happy to oblige in taking the defender back and it would be a very good signing for them. To have him back, with even more League One experience under his belt and with the player himself familiar with Pompey, could get even better performances out of him.

It's just whether Rovers new leader thinks that Carter could be an asset at Ewood Park or not going forward - but the chances are Pompey will get the chance to potentially have the defender back again.