16 free agents Pompey could lure from promotion rivals this summer - including Bolton, Derby, Peterborough and Barnsley aces

Pompey are already working on their recruitment strategy for their return to the Championship

Pompey say their goodbyes to League One on Saturday (April 27) as they face Lincoln City in their final match of the 2023-24 season.

John Mousinho's men won promotion and the league title last week, so there won't be any final-day worries from them. They know they will be playing in the Championship next term and already things are being put in place to help prepare them for life in the second tier.

A new gantry is being erected at Fratton Park, while there's some decisions to be made with the futures of a few players up in the air. Several members of the squad want their contract situations to be sorted as soon as possible so they can best prepare themselves for next season.

An advantage Pompey have over the division’s remaining promotion-chasers is they know already what division they'll be playing in next term. That allows them to crack on with their list of transfer targets, while the rest wait for their destinys to be decided.

The Championship is a tough league and the recruitment is going to have to be spot on. But a good place to start could be seeing what’s available from their main competitors this season, with players performing week in, week out at high levels and having a winning mentality. And if they’re available on a free transfer, even better!

Several players are out of contract at the other clubs currently in League One’s top six - and with only two other promotion spots available, there might be some players looking to get a step up through the means of a transfer.

Here, according to TransferMarkt, are 16 current promotion-chasing players whose deals expire this summer, who Pompey could consider signing.

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