But they have been forced to admit defeat in their last-ditch bid to sign Younes Kaboul, with the defender agreeing terms with Sunderland.

Muntari will clinch a £12m switch to Inter Milan within the next 48 hours after yesterday saying his Blues goodbyes.

The fee – a £5m profit on the figure paid to Udinese last summer – will be ploughed straight back into Harry Redknapp's squad- strengthening plans.

Although a chunk will go to Udinese, Redknapp will earmark the cash to bring long-time targets Wright-Phillips and Shorey to Fratton Park.

Kaboul was today having a medical at Sunderland ahead of clinching a £5m deal to the Stadium of Light.

Pompey had made a late attempt to snatch the Spurs centre-back but Roy Keane's talks earlier this week proved decisive in landing the Frenchman.

Wright-Phillips (below) remains the Blues' number-one target, though.
And the money received from the Muntari deal now makes the right-winger's arrival likely.

Wright-Phillips is available for around £9m.
Meanwhile, Shorey is desperate for a return to the top flight and the
chance to link up with close friend Glen Little.

But Reading boss Steve Coppell has warned any potential deal must be completed soon.

Pompey are keen to strengthen their options on the left-hand side of defence and Shorey – who has a year left on his Reading contract – would be available for around £4m.

Redknapp had been loath to sell Muntari, who made 33 appearances last season.

But Inter's offer was too good to refuse.
And with money needed to pursue his transfer targets, the Blues boss admitted he could not turn it down.

He said: 'Sulley is a terrific player but, like everything, you have to look at it again if you get a very good offer.

'I want to keep him and would be sorry to lose him but every player has his price.
'I built the side who got us into the Premier League from the money Crouchie brought into this club when I sold him first time around.

'Sometimes an offer is too good to turn down, no matter who the player is.
'I like Sulley, he's a good player. You have got to be a good player to have Inter Milan interested in you, but that's how it is.'

Muntari said his farewells at Pompey's training ground yesterday and will now pen a four-year deal with the Italian champions.

Over the summer the 23-year-old had also attracted interest from Juventus, only for the Italian giants to recruit Danish international Christian Poulsen instead.

Meanwhile, former Pompey winger Franck Songo'o is interesting Plymouth.

The Frenchman's Blues contract expired during the summer and he is now a free agent after turning down the offer of a new deal at Fratton Park.
neil.allen@thenews.co.uk