Back in August, Portsmouth fans were dreaming of their side romping to promotion from League Two, but the campaign hasn’t quite gone to plan.

Pompey are currently sixth in the division and languish eight points away from an automatic promotion place with nine games left to complete, making their top three chances somewhat slim.

Boss Paul Cook is under pressure to reach League One at all costs, and knows that anything other than promotion for his squad would be seen as a failure.

After splashing out on the likes of Gary Roberts, Ben Davies and Adam McGurk in the summer, Pompey have one of the highest wage bills in the division and even tempted Cook to leave League One with Chesterfield to take the Pompey job.

With a big summer on the horizon, Football League World writer Lee Clarke took a look at three players who could be signed by Portsmouth in the summer and also three who could depart......

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE THREE IN, THREE OUT!

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Three out...

Conor Chaplin

Whilst Portsmouth will probably fight tooth and nail to keep the 19-year-old during the summer months, the realistic probability is pretty slim.

The striker has netted nine goals so far during the 2015/16 campaign and he has no shortage of suitors in both the Sky Bet Championship and the Premier League.

With automatic promotion looking unlikely for Pompey during this season, it looks as though it will be the lottery of the play-offs which will determine which division they will play in next season.

Should that division be League Two, then they can almost certainly kiss goodbye to any chance they might have of keeping Chaplin around next season.

Ben Davies

Although Davies still possesses a mean delivery of a football from attacking positions, time is running out on his career.

A veteran of over 490 professional appearances Davies has had a superb career in the lower leagues and played Championship football at Derby County for three seasons.

Davies signed a one-year contract at the start of this season and his performances have indicated that an extension might be forthcoming.

At 34-years-old Davies isn’t getting any younger and with a plethora of talent coming through the Pompey ranks, the time will come to let the former Sheffield United, Notts County and Shrewsbury Town man leave at the end of the season.

Kal Naismith

The winger was signed by Pompey boss Paul Cook during the summer but he has made just 13 appearances during his maiden season at Fratton Park.

Earlier on in the campaign the Glasgow-born player went on loan to Hartlepool United, which seemed to suggest that the jury remained out on the summer recruit.

Naismith drifts in and out of games all too often and his tendencies to switch off have seen him struggle for any real consistency this season.

Whilst there is a good player in there somewhere, Pompey are yet to unearth such talent and a summer departure could be on the horizon.

Three in...

Jimmy Ryan

The Fleetwood Town midfielder was a vital part of the Chesterfield side that reached the League One play-offs under Paul Cook last season.

Cook who is now in charge of Pompey is a keen admirer of Ryan’s qualities as a footballer and with the Cod Army struggling towards the foot of League One; Ryan could fancy a renaissance with Cook in the summer.

The combative midfielder will still be in contract, but should Ryan’s current club fail to avoid the drop they will inevitably need to balance the books, which could open the door to a move.

Eoin Doyle

Irish striker Doyle was sold to Cardiff City of the Sky Bet Championship by Cook when the pair worked together at Chesterfield.

During the Derbyshire-based club’s title winning campaign of 2013/14, Doyle smashed 13 goals to fire the team into League One.

Cook clearly rates the player highly and was unhappy when he was forced to sell him to Cardiff City the following season.

Doyle is currently on loan at Preston North End and with his future looking uncertain, the 28-year-old could be a possible signing for Portsmouth should they win promotion to League One.

Tyler Walker

The Nottingham Forest youngster is currently out on loan at Burton Albion in Sky Bet League One, with his chances of first-team football at his parent club slim.

After failing to impress during a run of games in the team at the City Ground, Forest opted to loan him out and they could do the same next season.

Paul Cook could do with adding an injection of pace to his side and Walker would add just that, as well as chipping in with the odd goal too.

Forest would only let him go out on loan but if he was to be playing regular first-team football, they would be happy to sanction a move for the entirety of next season.