Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley planning 'big conversation' with owners as he anticipates need for a new goalkeeper in January

The Pompey boss believes that could be a necessity as he looks to maximise Josh Oluwayemi’s potential.

And it’s something he’s planning to raise with chief executive Andy Cullen and the owners as he already contemplates what will be needed on the transfer front in the new year.

At present 21-year-old Oluwayemi is playing second fiddle to on-loan West Brom youngster Josh Griffiths at Fratton Park.

The Baggies stopper is Cowley’s undisputed No1 this season – and despite being the same age as his back-up, has significantly more senior game-time experience having previously been on loan at Cheltenham and Lincoln prior to his summer switch to the south coast.

The England under-21 international has racked up 98 senior league and cup appearances as a result.

For his part, though, former Spurs youngster Oluwayemi has only Premier League 2 experience to draw upon, plus one loan appearance for non-league Maidenhead during the 2020-21 campaign.

The Blues No2 has managed three games since his move from north London on a free transfer – including last week’s Hampshire Senior Cup win against Southampton.

Like 17-year-old Toby Steward, who is currently on loan at Bognor, he’s highly-rated at Fratton Park.

But in order to continue his development and get him ready to perhaps one day being the Blues’ first-choice, Cowley believes a temporary move away from Fratton Park this January is needed.

But that means dipping into the transfer market once again in search of another goalkeeper – like they did with Ollie Webber last season.

Cowley said: ‘We’re trying to develop two young keepers here.

‘We have Toby, who’s in the England pathway, he’s having a brilliant loan at Bognor, doing great, and the amount of interest we get in him is crazy.

‘Then we have Josh and Josh is really talented.

‘But he needs a loan and there might be a time when I’m going to have to go to the owners and say: “look, we’ve got to get Josh out on loan this January”.

‘He’s developing massively, but he has to play and he isn’t going to develop unless we get him out on loan and get him games.

‘He’s a brilliant training goalkeeper but he’s short of what Josh Griffiths has had – which is three really good loans.

‘Josh Griffiths has played nearly 100 games now and that’s what Josh Oluwayemi needs.

‘But for us to allow that to happen, he’ll have to bring in another No2 , which will cost money.

‘So it’s a big conversation for us and the owners to have in due course.’