The priority will therefore be players under the age of 23 with the view of developing their games further, making the most of their hunger and hopefully making a sizeable profit on them later down the line.
This season, a number of up-and-coming players have featured regularly for Danny Cowley, with Gavin Bazunu, Hayden Carter and George Hirst the most notable contributors.
But how does the Blues’ use of such players compare to others in League One this season? Were Pompey less inclined to play younger players and more reliant on experienced campaigners? Or did the youthful members of the group get adequate chances to impress?
Based on minutes given to under-23 players over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, this is what we found.
1. Wycombe - 24th
Number of minutes: 2,141; Under-23s players: Christian Forino Joseph, Jack Young, Anis Mehmeti, Oli Pendlebury, Tjay De Barr. Photo: Alex Burstow
2. Sheffield Wednesday - 23rd
Number of minutes: 4,158; Under-23s players: Jaden Brown, Lewis Gibson, Ciaran Brennan, Dennis Adeniran, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Tyreece John-Jules. Photo: Jacques Feeney
3. Shrewsbury - 22nd
Number of minutes: 7,394; Under-23s players: Tyrese Fornah, Khanya Leshabela, Tom Bloxham, Saikou Janneh. Photo: PAUL ELLIS
4. Wigan - 21st
Number of minutes: 7,411Under-23s players: Kelland Watts, Adam Long, Luke Robinson, Tom Bayliss, Thelo Aasgaard, Callum Lang. Photo: Charlotte Tattersall