LATEST: Portsmouth sporting director reveals exciting summer spending plans with owners ready to back transfer action

That’s the powerful belief of Blues sporting director, Rich Hughes, ahead of his second transfer window at Fratton Park. And Hughes has strongly rebuffed the notion transfer business will be done on the cheap - indicating the club’s owners are ready to fund a recruitment drive.

Planning is well underway over bringing in the talent to bolster John Mousinho’s first-team ranks for his maiden full season at the Fratton helm. Hughes oversaw the arrivals of Ryley Towler and Paddy Lane in January, with Towler costing in the region of £100,000 from Bristol City and Lane joining for a reported £250,000 plus add-ons from Fleetwood. The former Forest Green man sees that pattern continuing across the summer.

Hughes said: ‘I’ve had one transfer window at the club and the owners were happy to back us, because they saw logic in the types of players we were trying to bring in. I think that will continue as long as they see we’re trying to make well-reasoned decisions and there is an impact to be had.

‘Colby Bishop came in at 25 or 26, had a great season and generated his own value in terms of on-field performances. So there’s different cases to it, but the owners were brilliant with us in January in terms of backing us.

‘It absolutely does (need to be funded), that’s where we are fortunate with our owners. It’s always our work to present them with a sound case and show the research which has gone into putting forward a player. They were then brilliant in January in allowing us to bring in Ryley and Paddy, in particular, hopefully they prove to be two good investments for us.’

Despite facing criticism from some Pompey fans, Hughes feels the way the way the club will work in the transfer market is certainly not the cheap way of operating. And he is looking forward to showing the owner’s faith in the football operation is well placed.

Hughes added: ‘I don’t think it’s the cheap way at all, with the two players we brought in January they commanded a transfer fee.

‘The cheap way to do it would be to do it on loans and free transfers, our point of difference was we’re lucky with the owners backing us and paying transfer fees for young assets. So I would very much argue against that it is the cheap way, I think it actually ends up being more expensive - but there’s a greater reward at the end of it.

‘We welcome it (the pressure to keep finding players). It’s a great pressure to have and we’re looking forward to the opportunity of trying to do it again in the summer.’