The 12 free agents Pompey could sign for nothing including former Southampton and Swansea City stars

Pompey may consider dipping their toes in to the free agent market should things change over the coming months.

Last year, Lee Evans was signed on a deal until the end of the season, following injuries to several central midfield options. Pompey had a 22-man squad list to deal with then but following their promotion to the Championship, second-tier teams are allowed another three players.

'There is sometimes a clamour to take a player from the free agent market,’ said Mousinho to The News in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday ahead of the trip to Sheffield United at the weekend.

‘The best ones in that market are often snapped up pretty quickly, but you never know what is available.

'Some of these players have not played for a long time either, so getting them up to scratch quickly can be difficult.’

The EFL will be expecting a 25-man squad list from Championship clubs soon, and it will be interesting to see who will feature on Pompey's list. If they name less than 25 then that will allow them to sign a free agent, as long as they were released before the January transfer window shut.

As seen in January, Pompey's stance on loans changed, and they ended up signing Rob Atkinson, Isaac Hayden, Adil Aouchiche, and Kaide Gordon. They've got six loan players now, so there's a selection headache for the manager when all of his players are fit.

With Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes proving they are flexible when it comes to transfers, it shows that the door can’t be entirely closed on free transfers. There’s a few players with a vast amount of experience in the Championship which could help get them over the line in terms of their relegation.

Take a look below at the players who are free to be snapped up even after the winter transfer window has closed for business.