Boss would like to keep upto17of his squad

DANNY Cowley has set the target of retaining as many as 17 of his existing Pompey squad.

The Blues boss is desperate to avoid a repeat of last summer’s huge overhaul of his playing options.

That means making moves to take up options on out-of-contract players, offering terms to those who they don’t have control over and bringing existing loans back to Fratton Park.

Pompey currently have 10 players contracted for the 2022-23 season, with five loanees seeing deals come to a close.

There are 12 players out of contract, although the Blues have options on most of those players.

Cowley believes it’s crucial a strong framework is put in place to be able to supplement with new faces.

He said: ‘A lot of it (playing contracts) we have control over.

‘We’d like to keep 15, 16 or 17 that’s the aim.

‘That may or may not be possible. ‘This time last year, we had eight or nine.

‘We had so much to do, too much to do, and it almost becomes just impossible because you don’t have enough of a spine to build from.

‘If we can that 15 to 17 together and have a clear identity as a squad, we can then add to it.’

Cowley has now made it clear he would like to bring back defender Hayden Carter and striker George Hirst out of his five existing loan players.

Sean Raggett, Louis Thompson and Marcus Harness appear priorities out of those whose contracts come to a close, with a play-as-you-play deal mooted for playmaker Michael Jacobs, above.

Cowley added: ‘There are some options we’d definitely take and there’s a couple out of contract we’d like to offer contracts, too.

‘There’s a few loans we’d desperately like back, but there’s maybe one or two we think we maybe could get back.’