BREAKING: Portsmouth chief’s big investment message amid talk of playing budget increase

That’s the belief of Blues chief executive Andy Cullen, who is confident Michael Eisner will back the hunt to land players on the rise to deliver success on the pitch next season.

Noise has grown in recent months over an increased kitty being made available to boss John Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes, as they assemble a squad to gain League One promotion at the SEVENTH time of asking.

Hughes has overseen a shift in policy to recruiting emerging talent, which has yielded fruit in the shape of Ryley Tower and Paddy Lane.

Towler cost in the region of £100,000 with reports Lane was landed for £250,000 plus add-ons in January. Cullen believes that clear thinking has convinced Tornante to continue down that path moving forward.

He said: ‘We want to make sure we have a competitive team on the pitch, that’s where the focus of most fans lie.

‘I know a lot of people are grateful for what we’ve done (in terms of infrastructure) now the intention is to make sure we don’t compromise things on the pitch, which we’ve never done because we’ve increased the budget every single year.

‘We’ve now got a firm strategy in place on the types of players we want to recruit.

‘Because we have that strategy, I think there’s more confidence from the owners to invest in those players who fit the strategy.’

Cullen wouldn’t be drawn on the details of Pompey’s playing budget and the size of any potential increase to Mousinho’s kitty, but is confident the club have right plan in place and the football operation will be ‘well supported’ as a result.

He added: ‘I never talk about the budget, I think it’s wrong to do so.

‘The reason for that is it doesn’t give you a competitive advantages, whether you’re dealing with players, agents or other clubs.

‘I think it is unfair to talk about that, but what I will talk about is strategy - and the strategy here is to make sure we get the balance of our squad right.

‘We’ve got a good modicum of experience, and we’re starting to balance and invest as well in those younger players we believe will become long-term assets for the football club.

‘I’m really pleased we were able to demonstrate the fruits of that strategy, with the fees paid for Ryley Towler and Paddy Lane.

‘That reflects what we’re doing. They have been first-team ready, been able to contribute to games and that’s what we want to build on this summer and beyond.

‘I’m sure the funds will, in the cases we make for that, be well supported because that’s exactly what we want to be.’