It is looking increasingly likely that Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess will leave the club at the end of the season, a report from The Portsmouth News has claimed.

Burgess is out of contract at Fratton Park this summer, and although Portsmouth have apparently offered the defender a new deal, the latest reports have suggested that no progress on that deal has been made.

As a result, it is now thought that Burgess will run down the remaining few months on his contract, with the view to assessing what options he has on the table when it gets to that point.

The centre back has reportedly already received a number of offers, including some from abroad, as clubs look to snap up a player who has been one of the standout features of Portsmouth's push for promotion this season.

Up until the suspension of the football season, Burgess had featured in 32 of Portsmouth's 35 league games this season, helping Kenny Jackett's side to fourth place in the current League One standings, two points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

Having joined Portsmouth from Peterborough back in the summer of 2015, Burgess has gone on to make a total of 208 appearances in all competitions for Pompey, scoring 12 goals.

The Verdict

Losing Burgess, which is looking like it will be the case, will be a big blow to Pompey.

On the pitch, the 28-year-old has established himself as a vital component of their defence, so his departure ought to make it harder for them in the battle for promotion.

Off the pitch as well, Burgess' popularity - which will only have been enhanced by his actions during football's current suspension - means his exit is unlikely to go down well with the club's fans, putting even more pressure on the club to find a suitable replacement for the defender.