Kenny Jackett has got his man - but Portsmouth left-back search continuing

Lee Brown will be the Blues’ first choice this season after last week signing a new two-year deal.

However, he is short of competition, with last term’s rivals Steve Seddon returning to Birmingham and Brandon Haunstrup seeking regular first-team football at Kilmarnock.

Youngster Joe Hancott is presently the only alternative, yet is coming back from a serious knee injury and is contracted until December as Pompey monitor his rehabilitation.

As a consequence, Jackett had been casting his eye over Brighton youngster Alex Cochrane as a potential loan arrangement.

However, the Premier League club are reluctant to loan out the promising 20-year-old left-back if he is not to be handed a regular spot.

The News understands Pompey’s boss would prefer to sign an experienced challenger to Brown, yet the emergence of the salary cap threatens that ambition.

Faced with a £2.5m wage maximum and limit of 22 senior members in the squad, Jackett would instead be forced to scour for youth.

Loan players under the age of 21 are not included under the salary cap, which is where Brighton’s Cochrane appeals.

There are, of course, other clubs to visit in the search for a highly-promising left-back to boost his Blues numbers.

Regardless, Brown is earmarked as Jackett’s favoured choice in the role, particularly now he is free from injury.

An Achilles problem had dogged the 30-year-old for 18-months, impacting upon his performances as a result.

It culminated in Brown undergoing an operation in December which appears to have cleared up the long-standing issue – and convinced Jackett he deserves a regular spot.

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