TWTD understands that Town’s joint bid is for Portsmouth duo Jason Pearce and Joel Ward (left). Blues boss Paul Jewell revealed that he had made offers for three players, two at the same club, after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Blackpool.
Right-back or midfielder Ward, 22, came through the youth system at hometown club Pompey, spending the 2008/09 season out on loan at Bournemouth.
Standing 6ft 2in tall, Ward made his Portsmouth first team debut the following Premier League season and has now made 57 starts and 18 sub appearances for Pompey, scoring five goals. He signed a contract until June 2013 a year ago.
Hillingdon-born Pearce also began his career with Pompey’s youth set-up but after spells on loan at Bognor Regis Town and Woking joined Bournemouth on a permanent basis in August 2007.
The 6ft 1½in tall centre-half established himself as a key member of the Bournemouth side as they progressed from League Two strugglers to League One play-off semi-finalists. In January 2010 he was named the Cherries’ first team captain.
Last summer, after a failed bid from Peterborough and reported interest from the Blues amongst others, Pearce returned to Pompey for a fee of £300,000 rising to £600,000 after milestone clauses are met, signing a three-year deal. This season the 24-year-old has made 24 starts and has scored one goal.
Portsmouth are currently in the midst of yet another change of ownership with parent company Convers Sports Initiatives having gone into administration in November. Despite an already depleted squad, Pompey could be forced to sell members of their playing staff to raise funds.
Pearce The identity of the third player, a teenager, according to the quotes from Jewell released earlier today, remains a mystery. Players matching that profile linked in recent months include Preston striker Jamie Proctor, Southend midfielder Kane Ferdinand and Leyton Orient winger George Porter. Town are reported to be expecting a response from Portsmouth in the next 48 hours Photos: Action Images
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