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As he was previously in our academy before your lot "pinched him" some years ago, I don't think there would be any problem should we sign him. He looks a very useful player, so personally, I hope we do snap him up !

 

Danny Cowley swoops for Barnet boss as Portsmouth backroom begins to take shape - Former Barnet boss Simon Bassey has joined Pompey.

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The 45-year-old has agreed to become the Blues’ first-team coach and will begin work on Monday.

Bassey quit non-league Barnet on Thursday, having served as Bees boss since April.

Despite finishing second from bottom in the National League, he sufficiently impressed the Barnet hierarchy to be asked to continue in the role next season.

However, the former AFC Wimbledon coach has opted to depart The Hive in favour of working with Danny Cowley at Fratton Park.

The pair are long-time friends stretching back to non-league times, remaining in touch through their respective football pathways.

On Thursday, upon announcing his Barnet exit, Bassey said: ‘An opportunity has come up for me to work at a higher level, one I felt I couldn't turn down.’

That opportunity is Pompey. He now bolsters a backroom left light since losing Joe Gallen, John Keeley and Jake Wigley at the season’s end during a Pompey shake up. Bassey joins head coach Cowley and his brother Nicky, who serves as assistant, in the Fratton Park coaching ranks.

The Blues are also seeking a goalkeeping coach to replace the long-serving Keeley, who has since reunited with Paul Cook at Ipswich.

Bassey spent 17 years at Wimbledon, including time as a player.

As a coach, he was a constant through the rise up the leagues, while had two spells as caretaker boss before leaving in the summer of 2019.

 

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Doncaster Rovers have signed midfielder Ben Close from fellow League One side Portsmouth on a three-year contract.

The 24-year-old's deal at Pompey runs out at the end of June and he had been in negotiations over an extension before opting to join Rovers.

Close came through Portsmouth's academy to make 190 first-team appearances, having made his senior debut in 2014.

He becomes Richie Wellens' first signing since he took over as Doncaster manager on 17 May.

 

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Oxford United have agreed to sign Portsmouth winger Ryan Williams on a two-year deal.

The 27-year-old Australia international has turned down a new contract offer at Pompey and returns to Oxford on a free transfer having spent a season on loan at the club between 2013 and 2014.

Williams scored five times in 49 appearances last season for Pompey.

The former Fulham youngster has also had spells at Barnsley and Rotherham and has won one cap for his country.

 

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Wigan Athletic have agreed to sign Portsmouth captain Tom Naylor on a three-year deal when his contract expires at the end of June.

The 29-year-old, who joined from Burton in 2018, had been in negotiations about extending his stay at Fratton Park.

In his first season with the club, he helped Portsmouth beat Sunderland on penalties in the 2018-19 EFL Trophy.

"I'm over the moon. I'm buzzing, excited, and I cannot wait to get started," he told Wigan's website.

 

Portsmouth eyeing a move for Accrington Stanley and ex-Bournemouth midfielder Matt Butcher

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The News understands the Blues have made enquires about handing the 6' 2" Denmead lad a dream move to his boyhood club.

Butcher is on Danny Cowley's radar as he plots the latest League One promotion push at Fratton Park.

Despite being a Pompey fan – citing Matt Taylor as his hero growing up – the former Cowplain School pupil instead came through the ranks at AFC Bournemouth.
Butcher struggled to make a first-team impact at the Cherries, though, and featured only twice in cup competitions.

He had loan spells with Gosport Borough, Woking, Yeovil and Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone before leaving Bournemouth last summer to join Accrington on a free transfer.

Despite having little senior experience, Butcher proved to be one of the best performers in a Stanley side that punched well above their weight to finish 11th in League One.

In total, he made 49 appearances, scoring two goals and creating five. However, he didn't play against Pompey in either of the two fixtures towards the end of the season due to a hamstring injury.

Butcher has a year remaining on his Accrington deal so he would command a fee. What's more, Stanley boss John Coleman has recently admitted he's under no pressure to sell and wants to keep a bulk of his side together in a bid to push for the play-offs in the 2021-22 campaign.

Still, the 24-year-old’s performances have caught the eye of the Blues as Cowley seeks reinforcements in the middle of the park.

The head coach has admitted bolstering the spine of his team as a priority during the early part of the transfer window.

Pompey are short of centre-midfielders, with not one senior option currently under contract.
Ben Close and Tom Naylor were offered fresh terms to remain on the south coast.

However, both rejected new agreements, with Close opting to pen a three-year deal at Doncaster Rovers and Naylor reportedly poised to sign a similar agreement with Wigan Athletic. Meanwhile, Andy Cannon departed at the end of his contract and has been linked with Championship duo Hull and Preston, along with League One pair Charlton and Bolton.

Bryn Morris was unsurprisingly released at the end of his deal, having spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Northampton.

 

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Burton Albion have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Bryn Morris when his contract with fellow League One side Portsmouth expires at the end of June.

Morris, who spent time on loan with the Brewers during boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's first spell in charge in 2014, is set to sign a two-year deal.

 

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Hull City have signed midfielder Andy Cannon on a two-year deal, following his departure from Portsmouth.

The Tigers have added the 25-year-old, who was keen to return to the north, following their promotion as League One champions into the Championship.

Tameside-born Cannon played 43 games this past season, scoring twice, but Pompey missed out on the play-offs.

 

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Portsmouth have signed 6' 2" centre-back Clark Robertson on a two-year deal.

The 27-year-old Scot will complete the move on 1 July when his contract with Rotherham United expires. He is a former Scotland U21 international.

Robertson began his career with Aberdeen and had a three-year spell with Blackpool before joining the Millers in the summer of 2018.

"It was very important for us to sign a left-sided centre-half in order to provide balance in that area of the pitch," said head coach Danny Cowley.

Portsmouth finished eighth in League One in 2020-21, two points outside the top six, having lost in the play-offs to Oxford United the previous season.

 

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James Bolton has left Pompey to sign for fellow League One club Plymouth for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old right-back scored three goals in 53 appearances for the Blues after arriving from Shrewsbury in the summer of 2019.

One of those strikes was a dramatic late leveller in a 2-2 draw against his new club at Fratton Park last summer.

 

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Alfie Stanley is the latest player to depart Fratton Park.

The News understands the 19-year-old will not be taking up the Blues’ offer of a 12-month deal.

The promising striker is a former Fratton Park season-ticket holder and spent 13 years on the books of the club he supports.

However, it is understood Stanley became disillusioned over the current pathway on offer to young Pompey players.