Portsmouth chief defends Blues' summer spending - and delivers encouraging transfer fee pledge

The Blues’ chief executive estimates in excess of £20m has been ploughed into upgrading their 125-year-old home over recent years, restoring lost capacity and boosting facilities, as well as their Hilsea training ground.

However, he has reassured the Fratton faithful that squad strengthening is now the ‘primary focus’ as Pompey turn their attention away from capital projects.

Although a £1.7m new pitch is on the agenda in 2-3 years, Cullen has pledged that, in the meantime, the club will continue to recruit talented ‘first-team ready’ players.

The summer transfer window saw fees spent on Reuben Swann, Jacob Farrell, Elias Sorensen, Abdoulaye Kamara, Nicolas Schmid, Harvey Blair and Ibane Bowat.

Cullen declined to reveal the cost of that summer spending in preparation for the Championship, although admits the playing budget has ‘more than doubled’, echoing previous comments by John Mousinho.

And he has pledged Pompey are willing to keep on paying transfer fees - providing it fits in with their recruitment strategy.

He told The News: ‘Having spent so much money on capital investment, the primary focus continues to be on investment on the pitch where we can - and that is something we will start to see.

‘When there’s a real need to do something, such as the pitch and areas within the stadium fabric, those will be taken on a case-by-case basis. But it’s about consolidating our position in the Championship and continuing to invest in things like transfer fees, which we have done over the last few windows.

‘We had a significant loss last year which will be reported in the next few months. That’s a consequence of the investment we made in players last season in what was a hugely successful campaign.

‘It would be wrong of me to break the spirit of the confidential information and say how much we have spent (in the last transfer window), that is part of the contracts we have signed with other clubs.

‘However we have spent a sizable sum of our budget on transfer fees this summer across a number of players, which particularly underlines the commitment. In all of those cases, we have invested in young first-team ready talent.

‘I can also say we have significantly increased our budget this year going to the Championship. We have more than doubled our wage bill this season on players, 

‘But it’s not about how much you spend, it’s about identifying the right players, the right players who may go on to become assets for you.

‘Brighton and Brentford have been hugely successful through a measured recruitment strategy over a number of years. Spending fees on players, moving them on through sales and then going again, bringing in the best quality of player with more fees. Coventry have also done it very well in recent years.

‘But you have to start somewhere and we are very much at the start of that particular journey. It is a strategy we remain absolutely committed to to improve the football club and the quality of players which come in.’

In addition to transfer fees paid out on players, the Blues also recruited five free agents during the summer window.

They consist of Jordan Williams, Josh Murphy, Jordan Archer, Andre Dozzell and Matt Ritchie, with all boasting Championship experience.

Yet despite their free transfer status, Cullen insists they are far from ‘cheap players’ when contracts and wage levels are taken into consideration.

He added: ‘What we have really focused on is having that mix of fees being paid and also expensive salaries being paid.

‘Once you get into the Championship, out-of-contract players are very different to what you are able to procure and recruit in League One.

‘Josh Murphy is a good example, he was very much coveted by a couple of Championship clubs. Being out of contract doesn't necessarily mean he is a cheap player.’