Portsmouth transfer news: Danny Cowley provides encouraging update on search for Marcus Harness' replacement following winger's move to Ipswich

The Pompey boss said that work is ongoing to make a deal happen – with the preference for a permanent signing.

He also revealed that the player in question fits into the club’s preferred transfer strategy of being an exciting up-and-coming talent.

Yet he warned the Blues would not panic if the deal were to become complicated – with loan options also in the pipeline.

Harness departed Fratton Park last week to sign for Ipswich for an undisclosed fee that The News understands is around the £750,000 figure they paid Burton in 2019.

Some of that money has already been used to bring in striker Colby Bishop from Accrington.

The 25-year-old represents Cowley’s seventh signing of the transfer window.

But with the season just one week away, Pompey are also keen to land a replacement for Harness.

Swansea’s Jordan Garrick and former Crystal Palace youngster Brandon Pierrick, who is on trial at Fratton Park, are names that have been mentioned.

But Cowley revealed he has his attention focused on elsewhere.

He told The News: ‘For us, we know exactly what we want and who we want.

‘Our ambition would be to replace Marcus with a permanent signing and I know we’re working hard to make that happen.

‘We think we've found another player that is playing at a lower level that is up and coming.

‘But if that is not possible, then we do have some loan options as well.

‘So, yeah, we know what we want.

‘We definitely need to add some pace, some athleticism in that one v one domination that obviously Marcus gave us.’

Cowley reiterated the need to bring in emerging talent that will stand Pompey in good stead for now and the future.

Yet he admitted he won’t spend for the sake of spending – and would be prepared to wait if it meant delivering on his requirements.

‘For us, we’re trying to find young players on the way up,’ he added.

‘That’s what we’re trying to do.

‘If we find the right young player that’s on the way up then we will try to recruit him.

‘We won’t just spend for spending’s sake.

‘If we can’t find the right person in this window, we’ll play the long game because, for us, you can only spend it once and you have to spend it really intelligently to be able to bring the right quality of player into the group.’