Portsmouth will not be pursuing a deal for striker Jonathan Afolabi this summer, according to a report from The News.

Afolabi was given the opportunity to impress by head coach Danny Cowley last week as he joined Pompey's training camp in Spain.

The striker spent five days training with Portsmouth's first-team squad and featured in the club's pre-season friendly with Qatar SC.

Despite the fact that he scored in this aforementioned fixture, it is understood that Pompey will not be looking into the possibility of signing him.

Afolabi joined Celtic in 2019 after featuring at youth level for Portsmouth's arch-rivals Southampton.

The 22-year-old failed to feature in a competitive match for the Bhoys during this particular spell.

In the previous campaign, Afolabi featured for Ayr United and Airdrieonians.

Over the course of these two loan stints, the forward scored a combined total of four goals in 31 appearances.

Although they have been on the lookout for a new striker in the current transfer window, Portsmouth have yet to add to their options in this particular position.

Cardiff City striker James Collins was recently linked with a move to Pompey but is now seemingly set to join the club's League One rivals Derby County on a free transfer.

The Verdict

With Pompey opting against signing Afolabi, they will now need to make progress in their pursuit of other targets in the coming weeks.

No longer able to call upon the services of George Hirst, Portsmouth know that the scale of their success this season could depend on whether they are able to draft in a suitable replacement for the Leicester City man.

During his loan spell at Fratton Park last season, Hirst managed to provide an impressive total of 15 direct goal contributions in the third-tier as Pompey sealed a 10th place finish in the standings.

As for Afolabi, it will be interesting to see whether another Football League side decides to hand him the opportunity to showcase his talent between now and the start of the new term.