LATEST: The inside track on how things stand for Portsmouth on transfer deadline day

But the stars will have to align for Danny Cowley to get the level of activity he desires, as he enters the last period of summer business.

By 11pm tonight the Blues boss would like as many as three new signings to be in his squad.

Will it happen? Is it realistic? Are the finance available?

These are all questions we are about to find out, and there are a number of variables at play which will impact the answers.

First, it’s worth looking at exactly what the Pompey boss would ideally like to bring in.

A versatile attacking talent is viewed to as a priority to give Cowley some additional flexibility going forward.

He has stated he would ideally like a player who can play in the number 10 position, as well as some pace out wide. The Londoner also knows that’s not really on the cards.

So someone who can play along the front line looks to be the route travelled. And talent with that kind of flexibility isn’t always easy to find.

Long-term summer target Ephron Mason-Clark has moved to Peterborough for a fee of around £300,000, while Brandon Thomas-Asante is set to go to West Brom for a similar figure.

Former Chelsea youngster Harvey St Clair, who is now in Italy with Venezia, is a new name to pop up going into the final day.

Cowley also believes he needs a left-sided defender to avoid a potential lack of cover being exposed.

Pompey currently have three players to cover the two left-sided positions at the back.

A fourth is certainly desired, especially with both Denver Hume and Clark Robertson coming back after injury lay-offs.

With Clark Ogilvie’s flexibility an open-minded view is being taken to whether a centre-back or left-back comes in, but with more of the latter currently available in the market that may be the route of travel taken.

Then there’s the midfielder. Pompey may look well stocked with quality centrally, but there is a slight fear Louis Thompson’s injury leaves the squad light of a combative presence in that department.

With Pompey playing two and not three central midfielders this season, the alternatives could be viewed as short on the muscle required away from home. It certainly appeared the case as Newport County charged through the middle of the park, in the second half of their Carabao Cup meeting last week.

To get what’s required, Cowley is going to need takers for the players deemed surplus to requirements. That most ostensibly is Kieran Freeman and Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Doncaster remain keen with Barnsley mentioned with Freeman, who is looking for move further up the country.

For Tunnicliffe, AFC Wimbledon have been touted as a potential new home along with interest from American and Australia. With the manner the transfer window works in those countries, that would not be ideal for Pompey who want the money freed up to be redistributed now.

We wait to see if there’s any late twists in the long-running Ronan Curtis transfer narrative, or any other curveballs are thrown. There’s usually a few.

There’s one loan space still free to be used in the matchday squad, while Cowley is acutely aware of the potential benefit of holding your nerve until the death.

It’s that approach which saw the Mahlon Romeo deal present itself from an unlikely position 12 months ago.

If that scenario does indeed play out, it could well be another deadline day which goes pretty close to the wire.