Transfer Gossip: Portsmouth weighed up deadline-day move for Coventry striker

That’s according to Coventry boss Mark Robins, who was told the Blues were going to make an early bid for the striker. 

A forward was top of the Blues manager’s shopping list ahead of yesterday’s 11pm cut-off point. 

James Vaughan and Ellis Harrison were targets for Jackett.

And Robins claims Clarke-Harris was also on Pompey’s radar.

He revealed the Blues had been in contact regarding the 24-year-old’s availability, along with League One rivals Sunderland and Fleetwood. 

A move to did not materialise, though, with Vaughan completing a loan move to Fratton Park from Wigan.

And Clarke-Harris eventually made a late switch to Bristol Rovers.

‘There was Fleetwood, there was Sunderland and there was Portsmouth early on,’ Robins told the Coventry Telegraph.

‘I have no idea what happened.

‘I was told Portsmouth and Sunderland were going to make a bid so then you think what that will look like, and can we do something ourselves off the back of it. But we have had limited time to do it.

‘But it just came at the end of play that Tommy Widdrington (head of recruitment at Bristol Rovers) rang Dave Boddy (Coventry chief executive) and expressed Bristol Rovers’ interest and that was done in a short space of time.

‘Jonno was in Rotherham and drove down and got the paper work done at quarter to eleven last night, so it was a close one.

‘Yesterday morning he wasn’t going anywhere. It just unfolded over the day.’

Pompey also sealed a deadline-day move for Birmingham winger Viv Solomon-Otabor.