League One outfit Portsmouth will be hoping to have an exceptional transfer window this summer to give themselves the best chance of being involved in the promotion mix during the 2022/23 campaign.

They will have been disappointed not to have redeemed themselves following last-day heartbreak at the end of 2020/21 - but have retained stability at Fratton Park by keeping manager Danny Cowley at the helm.

Whether that decision pays dividends remains to be seen - but they have already moved to recruit Marlon Pack and Zak Swanson both arriving, though more bodies will be needed between now and the start of the season to give themselves a real opportunity to make a fast start.

 

 

Without even taking an in-depth look at the squad, a new goalkeeper is quite clearly needed to fill the void left by previous loanee Gavin Bazunu, who was one of Pompey's best players last season but has since moved on to arch-rivals Southampton.

Other loanees including George Hirst, Miguel Azeez and Hayden Carter have also gone on to leave a hole in the third-tier outfit's squad and they will surely be looking to fill all gaps in their squad before the summer window shuts.

Looking less at the future and more at the present though, we're taking a look at the biggest current Pompey-related headlines.

Rafferty on his way

Soccer Football - Championship - Preston North End v Luton Town - Deepdale, Preston, Britain - March 20, 2021 Preston North End's Joe Rafferty in action with Luton Town's Elijah Adebayo Action Images/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Cowley's side have won the race for free agent Joe Rafferty, according to a report from Alan Nixon.

This same report states that the south-coast side will fly him out to their pre-season camp in Spain this week after managing to beat League Two side Tranmere Rovers to his signature.

He was released on the expiration of his contract at Championship club Preston North End this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Ryan Lowe - but could be of more use at Fratton Park.

The 28-year-old can play at left-back and right-back as well as central midfield, giving Cowley more depth in multiple additions and could provide competition for new arrival Swanson on the right with Mahlon Romeo returning to Millwall and making the switch to Cardiff City since then.

Crawley want Bass

Soccer Football - FA Cup Fifth Round - Portsmouth v Arsenal - Fratton Park, Portsmouth, Britain - March 2, 2020 Portsmouth's Alex Bass looks dejected after Arsenal's Sokratis Papastathopoulos scores their first goal REUTERS/Paul Childs

League Two side Crawley Town have launched a bid to try and take Alex Bass away from the south coast, according to an update from The News.

The 24-year-old is currently in contention to be Pompey's starter at the start of next season with Bazunu leaving on the expiration of his loan spell and the club yet to recruit a replacement.

He joined Bradford City on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 season, conceding a respectable 26 goals in 21 league appearances and kept six clean sheets in the process as a regular starter for Mark Hughes' side.

And he could be in line for a return to the fourth tier if Crawley managed to strike an agreement, with Bass likely to play more if he made this switch.

Interest in Bishop

Soccer Football - League One - Charlton Athletic v Accrington Stanley - The Valley, London, Britain - January 8, 2021 Accrington Stanley's Colby Bishop celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images/Peter Cziborra EDITORIAL USE ONLY

League rivals MK Dons have made a "low" offer for Accrington Stanley forward Colby Bishop, as per yesterday morning's report from Alan Nixon's Patreon.

John Coleman's side are open to a sale with the 25-year-old entering the final year of his contract at his current side - and Pompey are also interested in recruiting him according to this same update from Nixon.

However, they may face a considerable tussle with Liam Manning's side making a formal move to try and secure his services, with Bishop potentially coming in as a replacement for Connor Wickham.

Cowley's men are also in desperate need of more firepower up top with George Hirst returning to Leicester City and Tyler Walker heading back to Coventry, though the latter wasn't exactly able to make a huge impact on the south coast.