Portsmouth hoping to seal loan club for youngster Matt Casey
Pompey are hoping to tie up a deal to send Matt Casey out on loan in the next coming weeks.
The centre-back penned his first professional deal at Fratton Park earlier this summer.
It was reward for the promising progress he made in the club's academy, as well as impressing on loan at Gosport Borough last season.
Casey helped the Privett Park side avoid relegation from Southern League premier division south and is now set to move up the non-league pyramid.
With Paul Downing, Christian Burgess and Sean Raggett as senior centre-back options – while Tom Naylor featured in the role against Stevenage – it means the Botley youngster is free to continue his development away from PO4.
And Kenny Jackett wants to get Casey a club as high up the ladder as he can.
The Blues boss said: ‘We’re working at a group of 24 with three keepers and an extra striker.
‘Matt Casey will go out on loan, which will be good for him.
‘The process is getting him out as far up the ladder as possible and he must be playing men’s football.
‘That leaves us with a senior squad that’s well balanced and fully capable.’