Portsmouth chief delivers position on contract extensions for raft of assets

Pompey are prioritising player recruitment over handing their title winners contract extensions.

But the Blues will look to secure the futures of the swathe of assets who secured the League One title this season.

Chief executive Andy Cullen acknowledged it’s necessary to protect those bankable players who are inching towards the latter stages of their contracts.

Cullen stated, however, it’s bringing in new faces the football operation are focussing on currently.

Pompey are ploughing on with recruitment business ahead of the transfer window opening on June 14, following their Championship return.

There promises to be another significant influx of players, though Cullen has sounded a note of caution over the battle the Blues face to bring in the additions they feel can improve the squad at a higher level.

When it comes to the existing group, Pompey are now in possession of a number of players whose stock is on the rise after helping their team to the third tier championship.

The likes of Colby Bishop, Conor Shaughnessy and Kusini Yengi are approaching the final year of their agreements, though there are 12-month options in the club’s favour to protect their position.

Cullen feels it’s necessary to look at the contract positions surrounding squad members individually, but insisted that is currently playing second fiddle to bringing in new faces.

He said: ‘Every player you look at, and you can’t say one size fits all on every individual player.

‘But we certainly have a large number of top, top players in the building who have different lengths on their contracts.

‘You have to look at those players individually in terms of that context.

‘When the time is right we’ll let people know what is happening on individual players, but at the moment the focus on building the best possible squad to be competitive.’