Mark Catlin: Portsmouth firmly in the hunt for playing additions

Mark Catlin is adamant Pompey’s recruitment drive is well under way.
Kenny Jackett and his recruitment team are currently scouring the transfer market. Picture: Simon Davies/ProSportsImagesKenny Jackett and his recruitment team are currently scouring the transfer market. Picture: Simon Davies/ProSportsImages
Kenny Jackett and his recruitment team are currently scouring the transfer market. Picture: Simon Davies/ProSportsImages

Monday marked the start of the transfer window, with fellow League One sides Bristol Rovers and Blackpool having already been highly active.

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Pompey’s own player hunt has been delayed by the play-offs and the necessity to discover which division they will compete in for the 2020-21 campaign.

Nonetheless, Catlin insists Kenny Jackett and his recruitment team are busily pursuing targets capable of bolstering the Blues squad.

He told The News: ‘We are speaking to a number of players and their agents. We’re continuing to pursue, talk and engage.

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‘The thing you have to also be aware of is that, under salary cap proposals, we have only five spots available, so must be very careful how we use those slots for the players we bring in.

‘As always, we’ll make offers we feel are right for the player and Pompey Football Club.

‘Ultimately, if that player doesn’t want to sign for us then fair enough, it’s disappointing, we move on. We want people who want to come here and play for the club.

‘If the right player was available, at the right figure, then money is available, but I have to again stress that our priority at the moment is keeping Pompey stable.

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‘We went into Covid-19 in a strong financial position and that has bought us a considerable amount of time.

‘At this moment there have been no redundancies or lay-offs, we have tried to keep the business going.

‘But without fans coming in and with the uncertainty surrounding what we do have, we must be very careful of adding to our cost base significantly by signing over-inflated players.’

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In addition, clubs must continue to survive without match-day income until October.

He added: ‘What you don’t want to be doing at this time is adding to your costs by signing players on overinflated wages.

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‘It’s not how we run the club and it’s certainly not how we are going to be running the club moving forward.

‘We’re just going to be our normal, fiscally-responsible self and, at this moment in time, must stop the hemorrhaging of money which is going on not just at Pompey but all clubs outside of the Premier League.’

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