Report: Portsmouth had 'been hot' on Silkeborg defender before swooping for FC Midtjylland's Rasmus Nicolaisen

There was hardly a fan who could claim they knew much about or even heard of Rasmus Nicolaisen after he became Pompey’s fifth recruit of the summer.

The 23-year-old put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal from Danish outfit FC Midtjylland and ticks the box of the left-footed central defender the Blues have been in pursuit of all summer.

Having previously been interested in Blackburn's Charlie Mulgrew and Stoke's Harry Souttar, Kenny Jackett finally found the man to fill the much-coveted role that can aid Pompey's League One promotion push.

Certainly, the arrival of Nicolaisen underlines that Jackett and his backroom staff are expanding their recruitment horizons.

They're not just casting their eye over the traditional markets of England, Scotland and under-23s football, but stretching their radar well into Europe.

And reports in Scandanavia suggest that Nicolaisen wasn't the only defender plying his trade in the Superliga who Pompey have had their eye on.

Danish newspaper B.T. claims the Blues had previously been keen on Silkeborg centre-half Anders Hagelskjaer.

Like Nicolaisen, Hagelskjaer is a left-footed centre-half and is of the same age.

Hagelskjaer has a year on his contract but Silekborg were supposedly unwilling to let him leave – so Pompey turned their attentions to Nicolaisen.

The report, which has been translated to English via Google Translate, said: ‘In July, it was FK Rostov from Russia who tried to buy Frederik Alves free for an amount of one million euros, and now it is defender Anders Hagelskjaer who gets attention from abroad.

‘Especially Portsmouth, from League One in England, who on Wednesday hired Rasmus Nicolaisen instead in FC Midtjylland, have been hot on the 23-year-old central defender and had several from the management in Denmark to inspect Hagelskjaer, just as he attracts interest according to BT's information from Poland. So concrete that there have been bids for him.

‘Hagelskjaer only has a contract up to and including this season, but even though Silkeborg could collect money from him now, it applies to him like the rest of the squad that there will be no sale.’

One to keen an eye on in the future, maybe.

In the meantime, Nicolaisen could be handed his Pompey debut when Wigan travel to Fratton Park on Saturday.

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