Portsmouth eye bringing Denmead midfielder back home, with summer swoop for Accrington's Matt Butcher

With the midfielder out of contract in the summer, The News understands Danny Cowley is keen to bring him to Fratton Park on a free transfer.

Butcher turns 25 next month, thereby ensuring no compensation will need to be paid to Stanley to capture his services as a free agent.

The highly-regarded left-footer would relish a Pompey switch, hailing from Denmead and being a Blues supporter.

Having come through the youth ranks at Bournemouth, Butcher joined Accrington on a two-year deal in August 2020.

The end of his time at Dean Court had been hampered by injury, but he has subsequently established himself as a fixture in Accrington’s side and impressed.

He has amassed 81 appearances and six goals during the last two seasons with John Coleman’s men, who are presently 14th in League One.

Butcher also started both of Accrington’s matches against Pompey this term, including netting in the 2-2 draw at the Crown Ground in October 2021.

He has flourished after handed regular service by Stanley, catching the eye of Cowley, who last summer was also linked with a move.

Although, with Butcher under contract at the time, on that occasion a transfer fee would have been required to bring him to Fratton Park.

Certainly a move would appeal to the boyhood Pompey fan who grew up idolising Matt Taylor and attended Cowplain School.

Indeed, the Hart Plain Avenue school still has a signed Butcher shirt from his Bournemouth days proudly on display.

Butcher had trials for Pompey and Southampton before taken on by Bournemouth at the age of 13 and progressing through their youth ranks.

He featured for Eddie Howe’s first-team as an 18-year-old, appearing as a substitute in the Capital One Cup against Hartlepool in August 2015.

A second – and final – outing was an FA Cup start in a 2-1 win at Birmingham in January 2016.

There was a one-game loan spell at Gosport in February 2015 after joining for a month, before finishing that season with Poole.

Butcher also had loan spells at Woking, Yeovil and St Johnstone before Stanley presented the first chance of regular Football League involvement.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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