Portsmouth transfers: What Danny Cowley had to say about the collapse of Michael Jacobs' Ipswich move

And in a thinly-veiled dig at the Tractor Boys, the Pompey boss added football often lets itself down in the way it treats people.

Reports emerged on Monday afternoon that Paul Cook’s side were set to ‘pull the plug’ on their move for the 29-year-old – reports which The News now believes to be true.

That’s despite Jacobs agreeing personal terms on a switch to Portman Road and passing a medical on Friday.

It also followed confirmation from the division’s big-spenders that they had signed former West Brown winger Kyle Edwards on a free transfer.

The News asked Cowley about the reports when he spoke to the media ahead of Tuesday’s night’s trip to Millwall in the Carabao Cup.

He claimed Pompey were still waiting on Ipswich to get in touch over the next phase of the move.

And admitting that it has been a frustrating window to operate in this summer, he said the Blues would ‘look after’ Jacobs in the aftermath of any transfer collapse.

When quizzed on Jacobs’s failed move to Ipswich, Cowley said: ‘You guys seem to know more than I do - and that's the honest truth.

‘If that is the case, then I feel really sorry for Michael because, like I said, Michael is a someone I've got to know well, is a really good human being.

‘Football is just a great game, the greatest game in the world, but it can let itself down in terms of the way it treats people and, ultimately, for us as a football club we conduct ourselves in the right way. That's what we will always do.

‘If that is the case and it has broken down then we know Michael can be a really good footballer for us and we will look after him in the way we look after all our players.’

Cowley said Jacobs had been the ultimate professionalism as talks progressed on a Portman Road switch.

He added: ‘It's been documented that we agreed a price with another club for Michael. Michael, I think agreed personal terms, which was subject to a medical which I believe he passed with flying colours, but we're waiting on the other club.

‘So we're not quite sure where we are with that at the moment. We're in the hands of another club.

‘What I would say is Michael has conducted himself impeccably throughout, I think he's been an outstanding professional, been an excellent character, and we'll wait and see how it all unfolds. But nothing surprises me in football.’