Portsmouth seeking to offload former Blackburn and Doncaster defender Paul Downing in January window

Pompey are trying to offload Paul Downing as they seek to reinvest in the central-defensive area.
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The former Blackburn man has failed to convince Kenny Jackett since his summer arrival, reflected by his sporadic involvement since mid-September.

As a consequence, the club are open to interest in the 28-year-old during the January transfer window, whether as a loan or a permanent deal.

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The establishing of Downing as surplus to requirements comes at a time when Jackett has prioritised recruiting a new centre-half to bolster promotion ambitions.

With Oli Hawkins returning to a striking role and Jack Whatmough maintaining his progress following long-term injury, there is an obvious lack of cover in the position.

The Blues’ preferred choice at present is Christian Burgess partnered by loanee Sean Raggett, with the latter named man of the match in Saturday’s 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon.

However, the absence of back-up remains a concern to Jackett, particularly the option of a left-footed centre-half.

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That Dons match saw Whatmough named on the bench, representing his maiden first-team involvement for more than 11 months after suffering knee cartilage damage.

Paul Downing's most recent Pompey appearance was in the Leasing.com Trophy win at Walsall. Picture: Paul Thompson/ProSportsImagesPaul Downing's most recent Pompey appearance was in the Leasing.com Trophy win at Walsall. Picture: Paul Thompson/ProSportsImages
Paul Downing's most recent Pompey appearance was in the Leasing.com Trophy win at Walsall. Picture: Paul Thompson/ProSportsImages

The Gosport youngster still requires match minutes to prepare him for first-team action, which will initially be provided through reserve fixtures.

Downing, who signed a three-year deal in June, was omitted from the last squad, despite a rare outing in the midweek Leasing.com Trophy match at Walsall.

He failed to impress alongside Raggett in the heart of Pompey’s defence, despite a 2-1 success to reach the competition’s quarter-final stage.

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Downing conceded the late penalty which handed the League Two Saddlers a consolation, although in fairness it marked only his second start since October.

He had been brought in last summer to help fill the gulf created by Matt Clarke’s move to Brighton, yet Jackett swiftly re-evaluated his free agent signing’s involvement.

After starting the opening eight matches of the campaign, Downing has made just six more appearances.

Even then, outings from the bench against Southampton and Harrogate Town were prompted through injury to selected centre-halves.

In total, Downing has made 14 appearances this season – with none in the league since September 17 against Burton.

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