Portsmouth boss reckons Christian Burgess has been looking at Fratton exit

The Blues boss reckons his club would be ‘naive’ to not think the defender is weighing up offers after he suggested he’s happy to bide his time over contract talks.

Pompey feel the way forward in negotiations with the 28-year-old is out of their hands after tabling a new offer, with his existing deal up in the summer.

Burgess has previously stated he has options, with talk of interest on the continent for the man who arrived in 2015.

Jackett explained the player has not informed him of any offers outside of the one the Blues made.

And he stated he has no problem with the way Burgess is handling the situation after showing total commitment in the time he’s been at PO4.

Jackett said: ‘I haven’t heard if he’s got anything or he’s indicated to me he has anything exact.

‘When someone’s in this situation and wants to see what their options are in the summer, you’d be naive not to think his agent hasn’t been speaking to somebody.

‘That is his right and his prerogative. We’ve always been that way.

‘If someone has honoured their contract, honours it 100 per cent and are committed right to the end, as he has and is, I don’t think you can be critical of that person if he’s saying “right, I’m going to see what my options are at the end of the season”.’

‘Hopefully it’s Portsmouth, but if it isn’t you can’t question that particular person.

‘Generally it’s the people mid-contract who change their mind where there’s more of a criticism.’

Pompey will need to have a contingency plan in place for replacing Burgess if he decides to take on a new opportunity after five years at Fratton Park.

But Jackett explained he needs to have a short-term focus on what could conceivably lie ahead this term at present.

With Burgess one of eight players out of contract this summer, Pompey’s squad will certainly have a different look whenever next season starts.

Jackett feels he’s reasonably set, however, no matter what division his team are operating in.

He said: ‘When it comes to what next season looks like, we’re still gearing up to how this season will finish because we have an opportunity.

‘That’s where all of our focus is at the moment.

‘For next year I think we have a good core of players under contract and we’d need information or an overall picture as a club to see what the structure of next year will look like before we add any players.

‘But, yes, we have a good core for the Championship or League One.’