Latest over new Portsmouth deals for key out-of-contract defenders
The latest over the futures of Zak Swanson and Connor Ogilvie this afternoon.
Pompey remain hopeful of tying down their long-serving out-of-contract duo to new deals.
Blues chief executive Andy Cullen has stressed Zak Swanson and Connor Ogilvie are still central to the club’s first-team plans moving forward in the Championship.
Pompey duo hopeful over Swanson and Ogilvie staying at Fratton
And Cullen has confirmed discussions with the pair are still ongoing and there is a strong desire to keep both players, who are viewed as ‘important’ to what lies ahead in the second tier at PO4.
Ogilvie is now Pompey’s longest-serving player to have featured at senior level, after arriving at Fratton Park in 2021. Swanson is looking to take his career at PO4 into a fifth season, after arriving from Arsenal in 2022.
With their existing deals coming to a close, Pompey confirmed last week both men have been tabled offers to remain at their existing home.
There is yet to be a conclusion to those discussions, but Cullen is currently making positive noises over both men being part of the first-team squad next season.
He said: ‘We’ve made offers to the players who are out of contract, as per the retained list. That's ongoing between the players and ourselves.
‘Obviously Marlon (Pack) has signed his contract, but the players we've identified on the retained list and made offers to those discussions are ongoing.
‘I very much hope something can be agreed. We do want those players to be part of the Portsmouth team next season - of course we do.
‘They’ve contributed and made huge progress with the football club over the last few years.
‘The reason we've made the offers is we see them as important to the progression that we want to make as a football club.’
The other senior player out of contract going into the summer is staying put at Pompey, with skipper Pack agreeing a new 12-month contract.
When news of the deal was announced earlier this month, Pack said: ‘I think everyone knows just what Pompey means to me and we’ve achieved so much together during my four years here so far.
'I’m very grateful that will continue and I’ll have more opportunities to represent this magnificent football club and our excellent fans.
'What this group was able to do during this past season was a big achievement and now we want to keep building.
'As soon as the final whistle was blown on the last game, you immediately start thinking about how we can continue to improve and really establish ourselves in the Championship.'