Fans given Portsmouth signings promise as they’re told how many new faces to expect

But Joe Gallen admitted the Blues may have to hold their nerve to get the best loan players to boost their chances of promotion.

Supporters have been left frustrated by a lack of transfer activity this summer, with no new faces through the door at Fratton Park.

Sean Raggett is the only new signing made, sealing a permanent deal after his loan stay last term.

Gallen revealed he can see three new players being brought in to bolster Pompey ranks.

The transfer window will not shut until October 16 this year, however, and the assistant manager admitted his team may have to play a waiting game to get the right men.

He said: ‘There will be players coming in.

‘By the time the window closes in October I would say there’s likely to be three new faces.

‘That (the fact under-21 players don’t count towards the squad total) opens it up, because you never know there might be a brilliant youngster at one of the big clubs we might be able to get.

‘Every pre-season managers want to look at everyone again. No manager wants to make a mistake on a player where they loan them out and end up thinking they could’ve used that player for their own team.

‘They will want to place their loan players at the best possible club they can get, at the highest level they can get.

‘So sometimes you have to wait your turn, and we may have to wait our turn a little bit.

‘Then there’s the financial side of it. As soon as you take a loan player we will have to start paying them. These are all things to be considered.’

Gallen explained Pompey face a dilemma between waiting for the right players to become available and settling for additions further down their list of targets, in the coming weeks.

With the league season beginning on September 12 - well before the window closes - that only heightens the pressure on making the right calls.

He added: ‘Sometimes you have to be patient. Come October there’s going to be some deals to be done with some good players.

‘But holding your nerve until that moment and assessing your own squad with your season underway - it’s difficult to wait sometimes.

‘It’s difficult to wait because you can wait for a certain player and not get him, then you could end up with no one.

‘So it’s not going to be easy but it’s never easy signing players, but with a bit of luck we can pull them out of the bag.’

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