Portsmouth transfer news: CEO Andy Cullen provides assurances on two key areas as Blues close in on further new signings

Speaking on BBC Radio Solent on Wednesday morning, the Blues CEO said he was very confident new arrivals would be announced ‘in the next few days and over the next week’.

Cullen also admitted that focus had shifted slightly from the free-agents market – a strategy he admitted the club had become well known for in recent years – with manager Danny Cowley currently prioritising and making headway on signing young, emerging talent on either permanent or loan deals.

The progress report will help appease fans who are desperate for further incomings and envious of some of the business already carried out by League One rivals to date.

Marlon Pack remains the only new arrival through the doors at Fratton Park so far this summer.

The fact the Blues continue to target permanent deals for up-and-coming players – an approach which was emphasised at the end of last season – will also hearten those who are sceptical of Pompey’s ability to fork out on transfer fees.

It’s a focus which perhaps explains the slow nature of the Blues’ current recruitment drive.

Cullen admitted himself that such players are at Premier League clubs who have just returned for pre-season training and are being offered the chance to showcase what they can do.

Yet he claimed progress is being made in that department and that fans’ patience will soon be rewarded.

Providing an update on Pompey’s transfer progress on BBC Solent’s Alun Newman show, the Blues chief executive said: ‘We have been working hard.

‘Our strategy from the start of the summer was to get some of the out-of-contract players signed up – so bring Sean Raggett, Michael Jacobs, Reeco Hackett back into the building.

‘The options we exercised on Marcus Harness and Louis Thompson were key to us.

‘Marlon Pack has been an incredible signing for us. He brings real quality and leadership into the group as well.

‘But what we’re keen to do is make sure we get the balance right.

‘We’re going away a little bit from out-of-contract players, which has been synonymous with the club in recent seasons, and trying to recruit in some young emerging talent.

‘The problem is, most of those are with clubs at the moment, they’re with their parent clubs, so we have to negotiate deals to bring them out and there are other young players we want to bring in, who, essentially, might not be permanent, maybe loan signings, and of course with Premiership clubs coming back this week they want to take a good luck at those players first before they go out.

‘So, there’s a lot going on and I’d be very, very confident we, in the next few days and over the next week, we’ll see some new additions come into the building.’

Pompey are keen to bring former Leicester and Blackburn loanees George Hirst and Hayden Carter back to the club following their respective successes at Fratton Park last season.

Young Spurs striker Kion Etete remains high on Cowley’s wanted list.

Meanwhile, the Blues demonstrated their willingness to pay for players in January with the £200,000 arrival of Denver Hume from Sunderland.

That followed the undisclosed fee they paid Luton for Joe Morrell last summer.