No pressure to sell Portsmouth prized assets despite precarious financial climate

And Kenny Jackett insists that will be the Blues’ stance whether they are in the Championship or League One next season.

The Covid-19 outbreak has had a seismic impact on football – particularly in the lower leagues.

Pompey’s recruitment plans prior to the outbreak have been decimated, with Jackett facing the prospect of his playing budget for the 2020-21 campaign being slashed as the economic reality bites.

Sizeable transfer fees for potential new players and the dishing out long-term contracts are highly unlikely.

And with next term to potentially begin behind closed doors, some clubs may need to raise much-needed funds by allowing their most-valuable commodities to depart.

But Jackett reckons he won’t be forced to cash in on the likes of Ronan Curtis and Alex Bass – even if their bid to reach the second tier via the play-offs again falls short.

The Pompey boss said: ‘I don’t think we have to sell and have never been in that position where we have to sell.

‘When big clubs coming knocking for your players then you have to be realistic.

‘I don’t think there will be pressure to sell. If teams come knocking for one or two of our better players, which usually happens in the summer, then we’ll deal with it and assess it then.

‘In particular, if players can move on to a wage that is significantly different to what they can earn here then, under those circumstances, you have to work hard and see if the two clubs can work out a valuation.

‘We don’t actively look to sell players. We deal with it as and when there are bids and if there is interest.

‘Then we would deal with it. We have to understand where the system is and where the market is but we’re not actively looking to sell.’

Last summer, Pompey’s failure to be promoted from League One saw them lose their two best players.

Centre-back Matt Clarke was sold to Brighton for a fee of around £4m.

And after a protracted transfer saga, Jamal Lowe was eventually allowed to join Wigan for a fee in the region of £2.5m.

But even if Pompey suffer a similar fate and do not reach the Championship this term, Jackett won’t be inviting bids for his key men.

He added: ‘When we have come to selling players in the past, you're assessing what the player's response is going to be.

‘That is quite a big thing as well. You have to see what the situation is but we are not a club that invites bids or is looking for them.’