LATEST: Portsmouth eyes on marksman as Preston North End target sees Cambridge United deal come to close

The Blues are keeping tabs on the 14-goal striker, as John Mousinho looks to add firepower to his squad for the 2023-24 season.

Smith scored an outstanding ‘Van Basten-esque’ volley to keep the U’s in League One and help his side to a dramatic final-day win over Forest Green.

The former Reading trainee is out of contract at the Abbey Stadium this summer, however, with any new club not required to pay training compensation for the 25-year-old.

Mousinho checked out Smith in person last week, as his side went down to a 1-0 defeat at Burton Albion. He drew a rare blank on that occasion in a powerful finale to the season, which has seen the front man bag an excellent seven goals across the final nine games.

That follows on from Smith smashing in 21 goals in his first season with Mark Bonner’s side, prompting talk of a move to Championship Preston as well as the likes of MK Dons and Wycombe.

If a deal does accelerate, Mousinho will hope to be able to call upon a personal touch to hopefully work in his favour. The Blues head coach is acquainted with Smith, with the Manchester-born front man spending the first half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Oxford where Mousinho was also playing.

A host of loan moves followed for Smith before his permanent move to Cambridge, where his stock really started to soar.

Pompey have previously been mooted as a home from the front man, with speculation surfacing last summer. Boss Danny Cowley stated, however, a move wasn’t something he was looking to advance as he searched for attacking additions.