Kenny Jackett: No guarantees Wigan and Millwall target Jamal Lowe will remain at Portsmouth

Kenny Jackett admits he cannot guarantee Jamal Lowe will remain at Fratton Park.
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But the Blues boss insists the club have ‘no appetite’ to cash in on their in-demand winger.

Pompey’s players yesterday returned to training, six weeks following their play-off semi-final elimination at the hands of Sunderland.

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Among those present was Lowe, the subject of £1.5m bids from Wigan and Millwall this summer.

Those offers were emphatically rejected by Pompey, although it is understood the 24-year-old has become unsettled.

Regardless, Jackett was impressed with Lowe’s attitude and training performance upon their pre-season comeback.

However, he conceded he cannot promise the former Hampton & Richmond man will see out the window with Pompey.

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He said: ‘Jamal hasn’t requested a transfer, he is fully fit and committed.

In-demand Jamal Lowe's attitude impressed Kenny Jackett upon his return to pre-season training. Picture: Habibur RahmanIn-demand Jamal Lowe's attitude impressed Kenny Jackett upon his return to pre-season training. Picture: Habibur Rahman
In-demand Jamal Lowe's attitude impressed Kenny Jackett upon his return to pre-season training. Picture: Habibur Rahman

‘We have turned down bids and there is no real appetite inside the club from the board of directors to sell him.

‘But I won’t sit here saying “people aren’t for sale” because there’s obviously a price for every player.

‘I don’t know whether bids will come in over the next couple of months, as a manager I hope not, I don’t know what is going to happen.

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‘But there is no real appetite for us to sell him, we have turned down bids so far, I don’t think they are coming back.

‘Where is he? It very much depends on what he feels, what his agent says, but I haven’t seen a lot of him if I am being truthful because I have been away myself.

‘For the level of speculation you would think there have been bids all the time, or phone calls, but there haven't been. Whether that happens now, I don’t know.

‘I’ve not necessarily spoken to Jamal about his future. As and when bids come in, myself and Mark Catlin will talk to the player about that.

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‘He is realistic enough to know we have turned the bids down and that’s it.

‘Up to now he has been fine, but he’s not someone I have seen during the course of the summer.’

Lowe’s dedication to his career has long been praised by team-mates and managers alike since his January 2017 arrival.

And Jackett is delighted with the winger’s ongoing attitude.

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He added: ‘People ask how is and what’s he like, well he ran well yesterday and looked fit, refreshed and ready to go.

‘He lives locally and has been in and around the training ground a lot after an initial couple of weeks off, so we had an idea of where he was physically because the fitness coaches have been with him.

‘He was worked hard throughout the summer and came in yesterday with a good attitude.’

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