The two Northampton players Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley was most likely keeping tabs on during weekend scouting mission

The Blues are set for another period of transition, with 17 of the current squad – including loanees – without a Fratton Park deal for next season.

As the next transfer window edges closer, Cowley stepped up his recruitment efforts with a trip to Sixfields to watch the Cobblers take on Hartlepool on Saturday.

And, in a bid to see exactly who the Blues boss was casting an eye over, we turned to Charles Commins – co-presenter of It's All Cobblers To Me – to help us identify who could have been of interest.

Here’s what he said.

‘Goalkeeper Liam Roberts and left-back Ali Koiki are the two main players Danny Cowley would’ve wanted to take a look at, although Koiki didn’t feature.

‘We’ve never seen anything of Liam Roberts on the ball and it’s not something we see him do regularly, however his distribution is very good.

‘He stands out more because of his shot stopping and his command of the box, and he is that presence you need in the area.

‘He’s definitely better than a League Two-standard goalkeeper and has a lot of qualities about him, but I’m not sure he would have enough for top end League One.

‘Nevertheless, he’s the best keeper we’ve had since Adam Smith in 2016.

‘He’ll always look to get the ball out quickly through throwing, rolling or kicking it out because the way we play.

‘Ali Koiki is an attacking left-back and relies heavily on his pace going forward and defensively and is much more effective as a left wing-back.

‘I think Sunderland were interested in him back in January but nothing ever came of it.

‘He is the one, all season, who has commanded interest.

‘We picked him up from Bristol Rovers at the end of last season and only gave him a one-year deal.

‘There was an extension triggered for next season so he’ll cost money if anyone wants to take him.

‘He will scare every team he comes up against defensively because his ball control is phenomenal.

‘He is so quick with his feet and he’ll get past a player with no effort at all due to his pace and trickery.

‘He’s a cracking little player and maybe isn’t the finished article just yet.

‘But that's just because he’s young and will learn a lot under someone like Cowley.

‘I think he is good enough for League One, I don’t think he’ll start every week for a team at the top end.

‘When Sunderland were looking at him they viewed him as a player for a year or two’s time, but there has been no other interest in him since then.’