Up for grabs: Portsmouth ramp up attempts to offload players after 13th new arrival

Freddie Potts’ arrival, plus the incoming Mark O’Mahony from Brighton, will see first-team squad numbers swell to 32.

Irrespective of ongoing injury issues, the Blues are now desperate to move on some of those surplus to requirements ahead of Friday’s deadline day.

In the case of Stevenson, there was previously interest in the central midfielder earlier this month, yet he was required to remain until the squad could be bolstered.

The Blues are confident that can now be reignited and the 27-year-old represents a realistic departure during the window.

Stevenson was actually one of the stand-out performers in the 1-0 defeat to Millwall in the Carabao Cup and is a useful player to retain, having never let the Blues down.

However, with his contract up in the summer of 2025 and one of the lower earners at Fratton Park, there are expected to be takers for the central midfielder.

Anthony Scully has been told he has no future at Fratton Park and, as a consequence, has not been included in any first-team squad this season.

That also consists of being left out of the final three friendlies against Wycombe, MK Dons and Charlton, despite being available.

John Mousinho wanted to assess an injury-free Scully in pre-season before deciding whether he was part of his plans and, subsequently, opted to attempt to move him on.

Although declared available for transfer at the end of July, the former Lincoln remains a month later, seeing out a two-year contract which is scheduled to expire in the summer of 2025.

Certainly Pompey are hoping to offload Scully during the window, with the winger continuing to train with them in the meantime.

Elsewhere, Gavin Whyte’s underwhelming Fratton Park stay received another blow when he failed to make the 20-man squad at Middlesbrough and was left at home.

That was despite Josh Murphy’s injury and Sammy Silvera being ineligible - with 17-year-old Harry Clout instead preferred on the bench ahead of the Northern Ireland international.

The issue over potentially offloading Whyte is complicated by the fact he still has almost two years remaining on the deal he signed in July 2023. At the time, it also established him as one of the higher earners.

Such figures restrict possible destinations, particularly back in his native Northern Ireland, with his family having returned to Belfast.

Tom Lowery is an interesting one, with Mousinho a big fan of the midfielder, who clearly possesses talent and is widely viewed as a capable Championship performer - when fit.

Yet his ongoing injury issues have rendered him unreliable in terms of first-team availability and he was absent at Middlesbrough with a hamstring concern.

With 12 months remaining on his Fratton Park deal, it remains to be seen whether the Blues would wish to offload him.

Nonetheless, having recruited 13 players so far during the transfer window - and at least one more to come - Fratton Park departures are now essential.