Danny Cowley reiterates Portsmouth's transfer priority as frustrating wait continues

The Blues are without a single senior forward as they head into their pre-season friendly schedule, which kicks off at the Hawks on Saturday (3pm).

Presently, 18-year-old former Rocks loanee Dan Gifford is their only option, while second-year scholar Destiny Ojo fractured his ankle in training on Monday.

Meanwhile, the situation with Aiden O’Brien is ‘ongoing’ according to Cowley, with the free agent having been offered a new Fratton Park deal.

Regardless, despite aims of staging a promotion push in 2022-23, Pompey are currently worryingly short of firepower.

Cowley told The News: ‘Our major focus is at the top end of the pitch and we are working hard to bring a forward department together.

‘We have no recognised forwards at this level in the building, we have known this for a long time now.

‘In an ideal world we would like to have four. For us, three would work.

‘We are working exceptionally hard behind the scenes. The club is clear on the profile of players we’d like to bring in and I know they are working really hard to make this possible.

‘We’re in the early phase of the transfer window. Our ambition is to do our work as quickly as we possibly can because the sooner we can get the group together, the more chance we have of being successful.

‘This time in pre-season is pivotal time for us, we have a 40-day pre-season and are already 11 days into that.

‘We are working really hard as a football club to bring the right players in at the earliest opportunity.’

O’Brien has already rejected two Pompey offers, but the door remains open for the ex-Millwall man.

Cowley added: ‘We are in ongoing communication with Aiden.

‘When you’re bringing a department together, you have to try to find players. Realistically, we are only going to be three forwards, so we have to make sure we have a complement of forwards and players that can all play with each other.

‘And Aiden is a forward player.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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