Eisner lists Pompey Academy ambition

Michael Eisner, who is presently in negotiations with the Blues board, wants to upgrade current youth facilities.

Presently, Mark Kelly’s Academy is of Category Two standard – and requires investment to progress a level.

Regardless, Pompey continue to produce an impressive amount of young talent, with Jed Wallace, Adam Webster and Conor Chaplin emerging in recent years.

However, if installed as Blues owner, Eisner is keen to bolster youth resources.

He said: ‘Absolutely I want to improve the Academy.

‘To me that is the key to the whole success.

‘Bringing through young players that you have a relationship, who want to stay with your team, who have had a good experience wherever you bring them in from.

‘You want them treated well, protected, advanced in their skills and to then become fans in their own right.

‘Obviously some of them will go to other teams, that’s a compliment to the Academy.

‘There are teams in England that do this very well.

‘We have to move up a level but don’t have to move up to Category One until we approach the Premier League.

‘Some of the investments in the Academy are related to improving the facilities, to increasing the number of pitches, to upgrading changing rooms and things like that – and that we will address and handle.

‘I like it where the training ground is, it’s on the island and is nice and close.

‘Moving to that training ground has advanced the club greatly.’