Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch says the relegated crisis club are already in transfer talks with other Championship sides who are interested in signing their players over the summer. The Blues have been chasing centre-half Jason Pearce and full-back or midfielder Joel Ward (pictured) since January.

Birch says the reality is that players need to be sold for Pompey to survive with discussions regarding moves under way with one game of the season still to play: “We have had conversations with a couple of clubs and have received interest in Jason Pearce.

“We are still talking, however. There are still things to be sorted. As it stands, we are actively talking to a number of agents and clubs. We have to reduce the wage bill for the club to survive, it is as simple as that.”

The Blues had offers accepted for Ward and keeper Stephen Henderson on the final day of the January transfer window, while bids from Town and others for Pearce were rebuffed.

The Ward and Henderson deals broke down over personal terms with the former Irish U21 international keeper subsequently joining West Ham on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Ward held talks with Blues manager Paul Jewell in March, while Pearce, Pompey’s Player of the Year, has recently been linked with Leeds, who reports suggest are currently the favourites for his signature.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

RetroBlue added 10:37 - Apr 24 Place yer bets that Town dont get a single Pompey player to agree to join us !!
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blueblood66 added 10:39 - Apr 24 Do we really want them, they wanted too much dough dodn't they?
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bobbyramsey added 10:43 - Apr 24 They won't be coming to ITFC, these players are far too talented and far too young for us. Why would we sign anybody like that?
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algarvefan added 10:46 - Apr 24 Jog on Jewellio!
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TrueBlue1983 added 10:57 - Apr 24 Sign up Greg Halford, he would be a quality right back. If we don't sign Jason Pearce I really am struggling to see who else we could get, I quite like Kyle McFadzean from Crawley but apart from that I think we will find it hard. Sign Jamie Vardy from Fleetwood as well.
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walberswick added 10:59 - Apr 24 We'll find it hard signing anyone with "The Mouth" in charge.
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geography26 added 11:04 - Apr 24 Can't see us getting Pearce, which is disappointing! Tbh id rather get Adam Smith as a free agent rather than Ward.
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rosseden added 11:18 - Apr 24 ''Sign up Greg Halford, he would be a quality right back.'' i thought that but apparently were the one club he wont come to. period. something to do with his colchester days apparently?
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Karlosfandangal added 11:40 - Apr 24 Ward and Pearce would give us a right back and centre forward which we need, Get Green on a free to replace Leadbitter. This would leave Edwards to cover the right back and wing positions, Green would be able to cover Drury and Hyam plus Ward
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CornardBlue added 11:53 - Apr 24 The gravy train for footballers is coming to an end apart from the Premier league. Clubs are looking at what happened to Portsmouth and are cutting back on wages. Derby and Middlesbourgh managers have already been told to slash wages and i cannot see PJ being told any different. Unless Portsmouth are going to accept realistic offers for there players and the players are not asking for Premier league wages they will stay where they are and Portsmouth will go under. Personally i don't think Ipswich will spend any money on new players, all our signings will be players who are out of contract at other clubs or Young players like Creswell who's fee is decided by panel. You don't have to pay big transfer fees to get out of this league Reading never, its just blending the right players. I hope PJ is able to do this.

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Big_Foot_Blue added 11:58 - Apr 24 karlosfandangel Ward isnt a striker mate, he can play on either wing, in cm or LB or RB but striker is one of the only positions he doesnt really play
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PauloJulio added 11:58 - Apr 24 I bet it will be one of those long drawn out saga's and when he returns from his holiday he'll sign for someone else
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bluekeen added 12:15 - Apr 24 I doubt Halford would come, something to do with him hating us !!! as for the others they don't see us as being prestigious enough for them which is why they will end up with Southampton, West Ham Leeds etc. players take into account the atmosphere at clubs when they play..... would you wanna join a club which has such a quiet atmosphere ?
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suffolkpoker added 12:28 - Apr 24 here comes the doom mongers...
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arc added 12:29 - Apr 24 Pompey have that 30+ midfielder who fits our profile quite well. What's his name? Norris? Something like that?
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legal_blue added 12:30 - Apr 24 If we are to be vultures, picking at corpses, then why not Glasgow Rangers too?
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jas0999 added 13:05 - Apr 24 I hope we sign them. But I have my doubts. It's not about being a 'doom monger' as someone put it - but looking at the evidence. we have struggled to do 'deals'. Plus these players turned us down before.
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RaymondovicBlue added 13:20 - Apr 24 All this woe started long ago. Should have signed Pearce from Bournemouth when it was clear that MacCauley was not staying. Fee would have been smaller and coming from Bournemouth there would be no "rush" to get him into the starting 11. But now we NEED him there and I'd hope that we can still get him at his now inflated price. At the same time we should have signed the Right Back Smith who was also at Bournemouth on loan from Spurs. Anyone know what happened to him?? And if anyone is looking for a job - Bournemouth are without a manager atm

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Dog added 13:36 - Apr 24 Jog on Algarvefan!!
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walberswick added 13:41 - Apr 24 Robson and Cobbold gave Ipswich a blueprint of how to be successful. ME shat on it. Raymond is right, Pearce form Bounemouth would have been the right time and price.
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Sindre94 added 13:49 - Apr 24 JAS, didnt Ward and Henderson demand too much cash? It wasnt the case of them declining us I think. Hope we get them.. BUT, i doubt it
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Marcus added 14:21 - Apr 24 They didn't leave Pompey because they were being overpaid. They knew if they settled their contracts then they would lose money. Relegation changes this as they need to move on (but happy to move elsewhere on loan because they still get the full pay). With every club now adjusting contracts to the fair play rules there will be a plethora of players bargaining contracts the next few seasons. Ipswich are in a better position than many clubs due to not having an unmanaged or unmanageable debt. Some clubs, such as Wet Spam, have gone all or nothing and (unless they get a lot of luck on Saturday) will have to do things the hard way with the play offs and we all know how form can go out of the window for 'cup' games. Relegated teams, even with parachute money, will need to restructure their squads and I don't think players will queue up for pay cuts. With this in mind I think we'll do much better this summer but, as always, many deals will collapse. That's the nature of the game.

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Marcus added 14:22 - Apr 24 They didn't leave Pompey because they were being overpaid. They knew if they settled their contracts then they would lose money. Relegation changes this as they need to move on (but happy to move elsewhere on loan because they still get the full pay). With every club now adjusting contracts to the fair play rules there will be a plethora of players bargaining contracts the next few seasons. Ipswich are in a better position than many clubs due to not having an unmanaged or unmanageable debt. Some clubs, such as Wet Spam, have gone all or nothing and (unless they get a lot of luck on Saturday) will have to do things the hard way with the play offs and we all know how form can go out of the window for 'cup' games. Relegated teams, even with parachute money, will need to restructure their squads and I don't think players will queue up for pay cuts. With this in mind I think we'll do much better this summer but, as always, many deals will collapse. That's the nature of the game.

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Keaneish added 15:21 - Apr 24 In short, it will be a bit of a PR disaster should we not land both of these given the amount of documented coverage our interest has received and the amount of time we've invested in it. Surely Clegg can see this? I hope the club are pulling out all the stops on this. Pearce was reputedly keen on staying south which is why he didn't want to leave...so why would he opt for Leeds? Ward wanted more money but this may have been agent interference trying to get as much as possible pre-FFP rules!

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Paddy39 added 15:51 - Apr 24 Please give up on these, we have no chance. THEY ARN'T COMING. Move on otherwise we'll end up with another season of loanee's and relegation.
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