Catlin offers reasons why new faces still to arrive at Fratton
MARK CATLIN has detailed why Pompey are waiting to make the signings they believe can make the difference to their promotion hopes.
And the chief executive has revealed the Blues are now primed for the green light to bring in players they’ve got lined up to come in for next season.
Pompey supporters have grown impatient waiting for their club to bring in new faces this summer, while others go about their business.
Catlin has detailed the dynamic behind that as clubs at a higher level have only filtered back in for a shortened preseason.
He said: ‘The players, agents and clubs we’re speaking to are fully aware of where we are as a club and where they are.
‘In some cases the work has been done, but we’re waiting for the relevant club to hit the go button.
‘They want to keep players around during this period themselves, because you never know they could pick up an injury in this period themselves.
‘A lot of the Prem and Champ are only just coming back now, and in some cases managers are coming into clubs and assessing their squads.
‘It’s a continuing theme from managers to hear they want to get the first few friendlies out of the way, wait to see their squad is fit and doesn’t pick up any injuries - then we’ll do the deal.
‘We could take players at the minute instead of others we really fancy, of course we could.
‘We could sign them tomorrow but once we’ve done and the three spots are used up, you will need to get people out - and that’s really not our intention.
‘Kenny is comfortable with the squad he’s got and we just want to make some quality additions to it.’
Pompey are continuing to look for a left-back, central defender and attacking option, with Brandon Hanlan a primary target in the forward area.
And the hunt is narrowing in those departments, although the salary cap and not covering potential injuries also factor in the thinking over waiting to do deals. Catlin added: ‘We have got targets in the three areas Kenny wants to strengthen.
‘We’ve been talking to in the region of three to six players and their respective clubs for each of those positions.
‘But it’s about getting the right deal for everyone, the timing has to be right and it has to fall within the salary cap expectations.
‘With boiling it down to the point of our preferred targets and everything being ready to hit the go button, we either have to wait for the parent clubs to accept the offers we’ve made for them or loan them out.
‘We’ve narrowed it down though in each category and area of the pitch Kenny is looking.
‘It’s very easy to sign players, it’s not so easy to sign the right players who strengthen a squad which finished just outside of the automatics.
‘The league doesn’t start for two weeks and the window doesn’t close for six weeks yet.
‘In a way the longer you leave it, the more it strengthens your financial position in what your can offer because there’s a shorter window for the annualised salary cap figures.’