Insider: Bayliss ‘isn’t a defensive midfielder, he's not Tom Naylor’
Pompey have been linked with a summer move for Preston midfielder Tom Bayliss.
Reports claim the Blues will rival Ipswich in a race to sign the 23-year-old who has been transfer-listed at Deepdale.
The former Coventry man spent last season on loan at Wigan where he amassed 16 appearances for the champions.
To get an insight into the midfielder, we spoke to Progress with Unity - Wigan Athletic Podcast presenter Barry Wothington, who gave us an insight into the midfielder. Here’s what he said... ‘Tom is a very gifted player, a great midfielder. However, he didn’t get much of a look in at Wigan and became more of a cover player.
‘He did pick up two manof-the-match awards during his time, but what restricted him was that Leam Richardson liked to play with two holding midfield players and Bayliss isn’t a player like that.
‘He likes to be a player who wins the ball and pushes on from the centre of midfield.
‘He’s got a good range of passing, he likes to drive from the central midfield role, has a real good quality in possession, but he isn’t someone you would class as a gutsy midfielder who will get stuck into challenges.
‘There was a lot of debate among the Latics fan base asking if he was available this summer, even though we ended up in the Championship, that we should take him on board because he is still young.
‘You do wonder if a team has paid big money for a player and they’re not playing, is there an issue? I was really unsure about him when we signed him.
‘He’s got a lot of potential but the position we wanted him to play, he just didn’t fit that position.
‘If Danny Cowley wanted a defensive midfielder, I’d say he isn’t that and he definitely isn’t like Tom Naylor.
‘He’s a confidence player and when he had a poor performance the crowd got on his back and there was a nervousness when he got on the ball.
‘If Pompey and Ipswich want to go for promotion, he’s probably not the type of player that will be starting every week.
‘I can see him at a midtable League One side so the pressure is off of him, but it’ll be a big steal whoever gets him for his price.’