Cowley dismisses links to young Magpies full-back

DANNY COWLEY has rubbished reports linking Pompey with a move for Newcastle defender Matthew Bondswell.

Reports emerged last week that the Blues had joined Sheffield Wednesday in the race for the left-back’s signature in January.

After impressing former Magpies boss Steve Bruce and his successor Eddie Howe in first-team training this term, the latter is supposedly hoping to send Bondswell out on loan next month to gain first-team experience.

But Pompey’s head coach has dismissed claims he is interested in signing the youngster.

The Fratton Park outfit are expected to be busy this winter, with Cowley looking to reshape his squad to bolster the Blues’ League One play-off hopes.

A new defender and forward are on the 43-yearold’s shopping list for when the window opens on Saturday.

But Bondswell won’t be joining the Blues next month.

Speaking to The News, Cowley said: ‘There’s no truth in that.

‘He is a player who I have some awareness of, but he’s not even been on any of our lists or on our radar and I’m not quite sure where that name has come from.’

Pompey are already well stocked in the left-back department, with Lee Brown and Liam Vincent nearing returns from injury.

Reeco Hackett has also flourished at left wing-back in recent weeks, while Connor Ogilvie could potentially return to his natural position when Clark Robertson returns to full fitness in the coming weeks.

Despite his Bondswell denial, Cowley reaffirmed his hope of enhancing a number of positions in the forthcoming window.

He added: ‘We’re looking to improve in a number of positions if we can.

‘We’re respectful that we might have to move out before we move in.

‘But it’s certainly a very important window to us.

‘I think the summer window and this window, even though January is a notoriously difficult window, it’s very, very important if we’re going to continue to make the progress at the speed that we would like.

‘Our ambition is to leave the January window in a better place than when we entered it and that’s our sole focus.’