LATEST: Development over Portsmouth's hopes of return for Blackburn Rovers defender

But the Championship side’s managerial situation is muddying the waters over the prospect of a Fratton return for the outstanding Blues loanee.

Danny Cowley remains keen on pursuing a deal for the defender, after the 22-year-old excelled over the second half of the season at Fratton Park.

The Pompey boss has made it clear he believes Carter represents the kind of player his club should be looking to sign permanently moving forward, along with Leicester City’s George Hirst.

To do that will require the Blues paying the biggest fee since shelling out £1m to bring John Marquis in from Doncaster Rovers, back in August 2019.

The route to a deal for Carter is also complicated by the fact Blackburn are without a manager, with Tony Mowbray leaving Ewood Park after five years.

Blackburn are prepared to be patient in their search for a successor, with that man likely to want to assess his squad before sanctioning any deals.

Another factor is Rovers’ club captain Darrah Lenihan being out of contract this summer.

If he was to stay put, that would push Carter further down the pecking order with central defenders Scott Wharton and Daniel Ayala already contracted next term.

Carter made a big impact at Pompey after his January arrival, making 22 appearances and becoming a big favourite with fans.

With his second loan spell in League One following on from a stay at Burton Albion, the Stockport lad has indicated he would like to push for Championship playing time - although he was open to the possibility of a Pompey return.

Carter has two years remaining on the Blackburn deal he signed last August.

It remains to be seen if Pompey can push for another loan move, in the event of a permanent deal not accelerating.