Portsmouth detail transfer time frame as Coventry City, Stoke City and Middlesbrough announce business

Pompey will wait until after the transfer window opens before they confirm their transfer business.

The Blues will once again hold fire on announcing any completed deals, as they continue their transfer work ahead of a busy summer of activity.

The groundwork is being put in by the club’s new-look recruitment department, after Brad Wall’s arrival from Manchester City following Phil Boardman’s exit for Everton.

Pompey have already been linked with a stack of names, with Oxford’s Josh Murphy a wanted man along with Crystal Palace’s Jadan Raymond.

Chief executive Andy Cullen explained a number of deals were put in place last summer before the window opened, with Pompey proving an attractive pull to recruits ahead of a memorable League One campaign.

That allowed them to announce a steady flow of signings once the window opened, with nine new faces confirmed before the end of June.

Even with a stated ambition of getting business done quickly, a repeat of the extent of that business appears unlikely as Pompey shop in a more competitive market following promotion.

Across the EFL deals are being announced at a rate of knots, despite the window not opening until June 14.

Things are proving slower at Championship level, however, with clubs slower to announce their retained lists and the division’s line-up confirmed on May 26 after the divisional play-off final.

Middlesbrough, Coventry and Stoke are the only second-tier sides to have confirmed any business so far, with the window now nine days from opening.

Cullen explained any completed business will not be announced until after that date passes.

He said: ‘There’s always a possibility (players could be lost)  players aren’t registered until the window opens.

‘There are ways. Last season we did quite a bit of business before the window opens, but didn’t announce it.

‘The context to that is you can have certain things in place, legal agreements or whatever.

‘That or similar agreements or having deeds in place, may allow those clubs to make those announcements. One would assume they have those.

‘But we are very conscious we want the window to be open and the players properly registered. ‘