Pompey miss out on full-back

The attacking right-back had been lined-up for a Fratton Park move as Paul Cook attempts to bolster his squad.

However, he has opted against a move to the south coast and instead is set to stay in League One with a switch to Southend.

It is a blow to the Blues, who thought they had done enough to convince the Cypriot international to depart the midlands and sign.

Demetriou made 53 appearances for the Saddlers last season as they reached the League One play-off final.

He played the full 90 minutes at Wembley as they ultimately were defeated 3-1 by Barnsley.

The full-back’s 12-month contract expired at the season’s end, putting clubs on alert.

Walsall had been keen to keep hold of the 28-year-old former Leyton Orient man following an impressive maiden campaign, tabling a new contract.

Yet he has considered his options and will today complete a move to Phil Brown’s Shrimpers, much to the disappointment of Pompey.

That has left Paul Cook required to look elsewhere to add a right-back to his squad, an area the Blues are clearly light.

With Ben Davies likely to leave having failed to agree a new deal, Pompey must continue to seek a solution to filling the role.

Calvin Davies is the sole right-back at Fratton Park at present.

However, he graduated from the Academy in the summer and is presently recovering from a foot injury which saw him miss the end of last season.

Davies made his Pompey debut in the 2-0 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat at Exeter in September 2015.