LATEST: Portsmouth boss reveals latest on pursuit of £200,000-rated midfielder as transfer hunt continues

And the Blues admitted the Accrington man could yet be the final piece in their midfield puzzle, as their transfer hunt rolls on this summer

But Mousinho acknowledged the path to securing a deal for the £200,000-rated talent will not necessarily be simple.

Pompey’s interest in the former academy talent has remained, since The News outlined they had made in-roads over a potential switch to Fratton park at the start of last month.

The question was whether they felt the 23-year-old represented value at the price put on him by the side relegated to League Two.

In terms of profile, Leigh does fit the bill for the type of player Pompey are looking for at the front of the midfield. He highlighted that in a season where he bagged 12 goals for John Coleman’s side, despite their struggles.

Mousinho explained Leigh is certainly a player still on Pompey’s radar, as they look to take their next steps after a rapid start to the transfer window with five signings already over the line.

He said: ‘It’s certainly not ruled out, but he is a player owned by Accrington.

‘It’s one we’re still looking at, but we wanted to prioritise other positions first before we moved on to that.

‘Certainly the conversation around that final piece in the puzzle in midfield, that eight/10 position, Tommy is in that conversation.

‘We’ve made no bones about him, we like him and everyone here likes him, but being an Accrington player it’s not as straightforward as some of the other transactions.’