This season, more clubs than ever are optimistic of winning promotion to the Championship.

With Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers both promoted last season there is no obvious side who will take one of the top two spots.

Portsmouth are one of those clubs who will be hopeful of making a return to the Championship, seven seasons after they were relegated from the division.

They made an admirable push for the top six last season, missing out by five points. This season they will be looking to add the quality to their squad that will push them into the play-off places and possibly higher.

Problem area

One area they need to improve on is their creativity. Jamal Lowe was their top creator last season with only seven assists to his name.

Someone they should be targeting to solve this problem is Shrewsbury Town's Shaun Whalley.

The midfielder was a key member of the Shrews' impressive push for automatic promotion scoring eight goals and creating 12 more.

The Shropshire club have already let four key members of their squad leave this summer and look set to struggle to recreate the standard of football displayed last season.

As a result, 30-year-old Whalley may be tempted away for a greater chance of promotion.

Promising partnership 

Brett Pitman managed to score 24 goals for Pompey last season despite the lack of a main assist maker.

Similarly, Whalley racked up his assists without a prominent goalscorer (Stefan Payne was their top scorer with 11).

The prospect of the two linking up at Fratton Park is an exciting one, and could be the exact partnership needed to fire Portsmouth back up into the Championship where they feel they belong.

Great value

Usually signing a player with the figures that Whalley has managed would cost a club close to seven figures.

But with the 30-year-old entering the last year of his contract there is a chance to pick up one of the league's best creators for an absolute bargain.

This really is a no brainer for Kenny Jackett.