Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett reveals thinking over recruiting further wingers this summer

Ryan Williams has returned to Fratton Park to bolster options out wide. Picture: Colin Farmery

The Pompey boss will refuse the temptation to add another wide man to his squad options, as he plots a successful Championship campaign at the third time of asking.

Jackett opted to utilise four wingers last summer, with Ronan Curtis, Jamal Lowe, David Wheeler and Andre Green viewed as the early-season options.

Viv Solomon-Otabor and Lloyd Isgrove were added to his squad in January as Green exited with Wheeler departing after starting just a single league game, following his arrival from QPR on loan.

And Isgrove was totally starved of football when joining from Barnsley over the second half of the campaign. The 26-year-old failed to make a senior appearance of any description in his time at Fratton Park.

Jackett viewed going with a quartet of out-and-out wide men as one too many, as he had to deal with the challenge of managing players not featuring.

The debate over Jamal Lowe’s future continues to generate headlines and an exit for the club’s prized asset will change the dynamic of Pompey’s recruitment.

But, right now, Jackett isn’t looking for any further playing resources out wide.

He said: ‘Looking at that area, last season I went with four wingers - that was one too many.

‘Right now we have Lowe, Curtis and Williams. That’s good.

‘I won’t be adding a fourth winger this year.’

Last season Jackett could call on the likes of Dion Donohue as a versatile option further forward, before his exit this summer, as well as Louis Dennis and Andy Cannon.

But it was Evans who gave him the greatest versatility behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Pompey boss acknowledged that the long-serving favourite still offers him plenty of fluency.

Jackett added: ‘I have Gareth Evans as well, and he’s quite a versatile player.

‘I’ll be working off three plus Gareth, who I consider can play any of the three positions behind the striker - or, to be fair, anywhere you ask him to!

‘Where he’s been and played the majority of his games last season was in that 10 role - and 12 goals is a good return.’