McInnes: Pompey exits needed

However, the Blues chairman insists there is interest in Matt Tubbs, Kal Naismith and Adam McGurk.

Paul Cook has recruited eight players during the summer as he strengthens his squad to secure promotion.

Finances have also been put aside to fund the necessity of a new goalkeeping recruit.

In addition, Cook has spoken of his desire for another holding midfielder, a right-back and a striker.

Such potential deals, though, are hampered by the ongoing presence of Tubbs, Naismith and McGurk on the wage bill.

Tubbs has turned down a deal at Forest Green Rovers, while McGurk is being monitored by a League Two side.

And McInnes is hopeful space can soon be freed up.

He said: ‘There is always a little bit of room for manoeuvre because we keep a contingency, but we really need the players listed for transfer to now move on.

‘It will not be at any price and certainly we want fair value for them because all three of them are, in my opinion, decent players.

‘We have got some interest there now and I guess when that interest turns into reality then there is clearly some more manoeuvring in the budget.

‘It would be good to have back money currently involved in wages for people the manager has decided no longer have a future at the football club.

‘In effect it is a waste and that money, when it comes back in, automatically goes back into the kitty for Paul to use.

‘For the players too it is preferable.

‘My affection for Tubbsy is reasonably well-known and I feel sorry for the boy in the way his career seems to have dived.

‘I still think he is a guy who can do a job for somebody and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later.

‘We have seen flashes of McGurk being the player people thought he was and Naismith looks like a kid with potential, so none of them are useless.

‘They are all players that ought to be able to do a job somewhere and I am sure will be raising interest somewhere.

‘As of yet, none of those deals have been done but when they are the money goes back into the pot.’

In the meantime, the goalkeeping hunt continues, with Jamie Ashdown to train with Pompey next week.

He added: ‘We will not go into the season without a proper goalkeeper, that will be stupid.

‘It’s not been for want of effort, we’ve had a couple of people lined up. Paul would prefer a bit more experience and rightly so. We’ve had a few in mind and talked to a few but for one reason or another they haven’t happened.

‘There are other irons in the fire.’