Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton is desperate to keep hold of central defender Jason Pearce so he can build a side around him in the years to come. Pearce, 24, is one of three Pompey players the Blues are hoping to have signed by the time the transfer window closes at 11pm this evening along with keeper Stephen Henderson and versatile midfielder or defender Joel Ward.

Appleton told the Portsmouth News: “Pearcey is doing fantastically well and long may that continue. The biggest asset he’s got is that he is a left-sided centre-half and there aren’t many out there. Obviously that attracts a lot of people.

“He’s an aggressive boy, he has an infectious attitude about him. Him and Joel Ward are like the Chuckle Brothers when they are together.”

The Pompey boss says the former Bournemouth man can only improve: “The thing about Pearcey is he’s got a lot of ability and will get better and better. He enjoys a tackle, he enjoys defending, he’s a solid, solid, solid defender — and reliable.

“The lad takes as much pleasure heading the ball clear and getting to the front post and making sure he stops a front man scoring as he did netting that goal on Saturday, I can guarantee.

“I think he can be better at playing the ball forward more instead of playing rush stuff and playing to his full-back.

“And while Pearcey is a man marker who likes to mark, sometimes he gets a little bit too tight and gets rolled and pinned.

“But his big strength is that he’s a leader, he wants to win and I want to build the club around him. I just hope I can continue to work with him over the coming months.”

Town boss Paul Jewell admits that he doesn’t think he’ll get all his Pompey targets — “it will be difficult to get all three” — with negotiations likely to go to the wire.

It’s already too late for players signing permanently to play against West Ham this evening but loan signings can be involved as long as the deal is done three hours before kick-off.

Meanwhile, one-time Town target Billy Sharp has completed his move from Doncaster to Southampton for a fee of £1.8 million and former Blues loanee Danny Collins proposed switch from Stoke to the Saints reportedly could be back on after claims that it had fallen through yesterday.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

yun added 09:46 - Jan 31 We need the Chuckle Brothers around Portman Road at the moment.
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Rossm added 09:49 - Jan 31 Did he have to pay to put this advert in the paper... he is doing nothing but trying to bringing in some more bidders to get a better price.... sounds like he knows he is going!
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Keaneish added 09:49 - Jan 31 Yeah but you can't pay him Appleton and you need to pay a 1.6m tax bill with a frozen bank account you moron so which few of the 6 that clubs have shown interest in are you going to let go because it's been stretched as far as it can go and is tedious as well as futile!!
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hampstead_blue added 09:50 - Jan 31 problem for Appleton is that he is very low down the food chain at Pompey.
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spanish_archer added 09:50 - Jan 31 Is Appleton trying to bump up the fee......
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RetroBlue added 09:52 - Jan 31 we wont get either of them. Sad but true!
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BlueBailey24 added 09:54 - Jan 31 I agree that he is trying to bump up the fee although his criticisms "sometimes he gets a little bit too tight and gets rolled and pinned" seems to suggest he is trying to put people off?
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cornishblu added 10:00 - Jan 31 ......this sounds disastorous.....ansd is the fact that Pompey arent playing today a good or a bad thing??....players given more time to decide.....or 11pm window allows them to see tonights result and put them off!!????......why do we do this to ourselves!!
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walberswick added 10:02 - Jan 31 Matthew Tubbs, no he's gone to Bournemouth.
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GiveusaWave added 10:04 - Jan 31 Have a feeling we are going to end up with sweet nothing (unless some free transfer comes in at the last minute). Can't even play their players but determined to keep them. Ridiculous situation which should be resolved immediately. Fed up with it. Its dragged on and on and on. Want to get paid guys? Move to Ipswich. Don't like the way Portsmouth handle their affairs.

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GiveusaWave added 10:05 - Jan 31 Relegation fodder if we can't get players in. Stevenson can't single-handedly save the club and hes not a centre-half.
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itfcst added 10:06 - Jan 31 £1.8m for Billy Sharp is a great deal, thing is it was always clear he wouldn't move down south........oh
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Stato added 10:16 - Jan 31 There is a lot of tosh coming out from Jewell about players not wanting to go to clubs in poor league positions but that doesn't seem to have stopped QPR. Then Collins was supposed to want to remain in the Midlands but now looks set to join Southampton which is a slap in the face for Jewell. Andrews hasn't come back either. Chopra, Bowyer and Bullard aren't performing for the manager and as much as I'd hate to be wrong we could be going down this season.

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debenturedave added 10:20 - Jan 31 Sharp went for a cheap price..would rather have signed him...going to end up with no one today... just more loans next week !!!
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wychyblue added 10:21 - Jan 31 Bournmouth must be reading TWTD to see who we are in for .First they sign matt tubbs now they are about to sign Matt Ritchie from Swindon according to Sky Sports. You watch , the chuckle brothers will turn up there next!
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Marshalls_Mullet added 10:22 - Jan 31 ITFCst; Billy Sharp has joined his former manager at a club which is in contention for promotion to the prem. The price is irrelevant.
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buryblue77 added 10:22 - Jan 31 I don't like Harry Redknapp, can't stand that ****** Cotteril and now really starting to dislike this Appleton guy as well, basically I don't like Portsmouth managers!!!
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PunchNoHopers added 10:23 - Jan 31 Just heard on Sky that they understand Norwich have had a bid accepted for Jordan Rhodes and he is on his way to Carrow Road for a medical! WTF!!
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brittaniaman added 10:24 - Jan 31 It is a great pity that they did not freeze the bank accounts 2 weeks ago,, it would have given the players more time to think about moving ????? But I still do not think we will get any of them !!!!!!!!!!! As I said before it will be the same squad for tonights game , no choice I am afraid !!!!!!!!!!
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Surco72 added 10:24 - Jan 31 Upton and Bramble will do if we cant get the Pompey players then Jewell and Clegg
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Lightningboy added 10:30 - Jan 31 Can't believe that they've got fixtures today of all days..surely the managers have got enough problems trying to sort out last minute deals let alone "trying" to manage a football team! Should be a very interesting day at ITFC?
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MickMillsTash added 10:37 - Jan 31 Pearce sounds like exactly the sort of player we need It is easy to spend other peoples money but we should focus on getting him - if the others come as well its a bonus. Collins, Andrews, Sharp were never going to come to portman Road, all players want to play in the Premier league and we are hardly getting there soon. As for Collins talking about the not wanting to move- what do we expect him to say- the club is in a mess and playing alongside Sonko was the worst experience of my life?

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DiamondGezzer added 10:57 - Jan 31 I feel its going to be a long day, and possibly a long night !
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Bergholtblue added 10:58 - Jan 31 Lightningboy ... its simple Jewell will be left to concentrate on the team for tonight and Clegg will sort out the transfer details..............Oh! God! That'll be no one then.
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bostonusablue added 11:00 - Jan 31 The fact that we haven't even signed one of these three by now is a complete joke. RIP Ipswich Town.
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