Chief executive Simon Clegg has revealed that Town's move to sign Portsmouth trio Jason Pearce, Joel Ward and Stephen Henderson (pictured) is still “a live issue”. On the final day of the January transfer window, the Blues had offers for keeper Henderson and midfielder or defender Ward accepted, the deals breaking down due to the players’ wage demands, while Pompey rebuffed bids from Town and others for centre-half Pearce.

Since January, Portsmouth have gone into administration with their administrator Trevor Birch yesterday warning that the Hampshire club could run out of money before the end of the season.

One obvious method of raising cash is to sell players and Clegg told TWTD that Town’s interest in some or all of the January trio is still ongoing: “Let’s just say it’s a live issue.

“The club had previous interest in three Portsmouth players. Portsmouth were in a terrible financial situation, that’s clear. They need money, they need to sell assets.

“I can’t believe that our position has changed substantially in terms of the interest we may have had in some of those players over a four-week period.”

Although the transfer window is closed, the Blues could sign the players on loan initially with previously agreed permanent deals being formalised in the summer. Peterborough recently recruited Crawley striker Tyrone Barnett on that basis.

Clegg says dealing with Portsmouth during January was far from an easy business with discussions taking place with both Andrew Andronikou, the joint-administrator of Portsmouth’s owners Convers Sports Initiatives, and now-departed club chief executive David Lampitt.

“It was incredibly hard work,” he admitted. “We were dealing with [Andrew Andronikou] on the one hand and David Lampitt on the other. Let’s just say, with the benefit of hindsight, there were games being played between the two.”

Further than that, he wouldn’t be drawn on why the deals for Henderson and Ward didn’t go through once the undisclosed bids had been accepted: “It would be wrong for me to speculate on the record in terms of why we weren’t able to sign the players after we had agreed a price with Portsmouth. In the main that related to player wage expectations.”

Clegg did confirm our earlier report that one of the players had targeted tripling his wages: “Of the three players that we were speaking to, certainly one of them had an expectation of three times what he was earning at the moment, which in the context of Financial Fair Play is just not going to happen.

“But I also don’t know who was telling him to do that. There were quite a lot of underhand movements within the club. They were definitely trying to hold on and keep their squad together.”

Given that Pompey’s situation has worsened significantly since the end of the transfer window and their need for cash more desperate, the players’ values will have dropped and they are likely to be available for lower fees than were previously agreed.

If Pompey were to go out of business, their fixtures would be expunged with Town one of the big losers. Portsmouth’s demise would, as things stand, see the Blues drop two places to 18th with 34 points, six points off relegation in the 23-team division from which two clubs would drop into League One at the end of the season.

Photo: Action Images

Sindre94 added 22:24 - Mar 2 Great. Im not too sure about Henderson though, ive just seen him a couple of times and he hasnt been very impressive, anyone who knows him better? Pearce I really want, but hes a left-sided CB though, but I wont say to him Ward also I would gladly accept!!! COYB
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Umros added 22:27 - Mar 2 Still not keen on this really, so a few weeks on, due to situation and lack of wages the players may want to come after all? If they do wages need to be on our terms only. May as well wait now till end of season see what else is about.
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geography26 added 22:37 - Mar 2 Would love pearce, wouldn't complain about ward and Henderson either! How does paying a fee in the summer help them out now?
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arc added 22:47 - Mar 2 £1.5m to get three players and keep six points. Good deal.
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Mark added 22:50 - Mar 2 Surely Portsmouth are not in a position to refuse offers now that even finishing the season is in question. We lost Holland, Hreidarsson, Stewart and Ambrose for peanuts when we were in administration so I am surprised Portsmouth still have these players.
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Karlosfandangal added 22:56 - Mar 2 geography26 Portsmouth captain Lawrance has joined Cardiff on loan till the end of season and they have paid a loan fee plus his wages, so this may be the case with us with a view to a deal in the close season. By players going in on loan it will give Portsmouth enough money to see the season out which would help us in keeping the 6 points.
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bringonthetractor added 23:11 - Mar 2 What would happen if a club takes a Portsmouth player on loan and they withdraw from the league before the end of the season?
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Coastalblue added 23:12 - Mar 2 Would this leave Pompey with a side to field if we took more than one of them? Agree not sure about Henderson, not been overly impressed with what I've seen sice Jan but maybe he's a bit unsettled?
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blue979 added 23:42 - Mar 2 what about david norris ? quality player and gave 100%. would love to see him back at town!
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Vizslaraner added 00:06 - Mar 3 Id love all three but only if comitted to the cause! Feel sorry for lord voldermort though he's dne a decent job and seems to get the best out his players. Saw him on sky today in his car with his porn star leather jacket-hilarious. Million for the three and
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GTRKing added 00:32 - Mar 3 so if we get them & they go bust dose that mean we got them till end of season & we will have to sort a contract out or they will go else where?
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CobboldNeal added 00:40 - Mar 3 No no no ! If they, the two we made offers too, did not want to join us in the window why sign them now (on whatever terms) when they have to leave their club - not right
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wilnisfan added 06:09 - Mar 3 Why did they make this information public?
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townietilidie added 07:01 - Mar 3 Why not really take the p**s and go for Halford aswell ?
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cornishblu added 08:02 - Mar 3 ....think once again this may be over stated....just read that Cardiff have signed Lawrence....if we were really still in for Pompey players dont you think we could have got one by now???....stilll smacks of our club being unable to wrap deals up.....hey ho perhaps while down in southampton on tues night we can pick a few of them up on the bus on the way back....save them the petrol money!!

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walberswick added 08:12 - Mar 3 Don't offer Pompey money for them now!. Portsmouth will be liquidated by the end of the season and we can deal direct with players.
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bluelady added 08:16 - Mar 3 Can see a return for Norris too........
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floridaboy added 08:18 - Mar 3 Sorry but I really hope Portsmouth go under and I honestly think that they will not be the only club over the next few months to hit very serious problems. And time for overrated players to start being paid what the club can afford and not wages that are seriously so over the top they are obscene Time for clubs to renegoiate new contracts and tell their very rich agents to go and do one. The alternative is an awful lot of players on the dole!!!

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strikalite added 08:45 - Mar 3 If we're serious about wanting theses three(or even just one!)players then we should step in now as stated above. If we wait, as we usually seem to for various reasons, and the players become available for free, then how many Clubs would you think would step in? Pearce is a good solid Championship defender imo, he'll get snapped up no problem....Peterborough are apparently watching the Pearce situation too, you really think they could match what we could offer him? No, but if he becomes free then they could get close..

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Dissboyitfc added 09:20 - Mar 3 wouldnt take norris back, no way, he wanted to go!... we need to move forward. As for the wage demands and not wanting to come, i have this to say, if it was out of loyalty to portsmouth then thats a good thing in my opinion, not enough loyalty in the game, if they signed then they would be loyal players to us also? I cant believe, its all about players not wanting to come here. We need some more vilnis and Tarrico type signings....coyb

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petermorris added 09:21 - Mar 3 So, we buy them, pay them, lose six points when their old club goes bust - and we then get relegated? In the meantime we pay JB 18k a week to go clubbing with his mate who owes our owner 250k. You couldn't make this stuff up!
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Dissboyitfc added 10:14 - Mar 3 petermorris....its a win win really, we buy , they stay in existence and we keep the six points... Bullard's 18k a week, years money for a lot of people, football has come along way since Jimmy hill got the maximum wage of £20 scrapped, sadly not all progress, this financial fair play rules, will in time save the game...coyb
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:47 - Mar 3 floridaboy: I know what you mean, but be careful what you wish for. There but for the grace of Evans go we! And we can't be sure he won't pull the plug one day. I think any team going out of business is a loss for the rest of us. Also, you have to have sympathy with the Pompey fans - but I quite agree with you about agents and greedy players.
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buryblue77 added 23:17 - Mar 3 I can't understand people saying they hope Portsmouth go under, think about the fans of which none of the financial mess is their fault. Pompeys mess could well have been ours had Evans not came in, what would we all do if our club went under? Imagine the pain and heartache if we no longer had our beloved club to watch, support, cheer on and also get frustrated at. Where would we go? Don't think the Wanderers have got enough room to take us, even if our crowds are at a low!

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bluesarge added 10:01 - Mar 4 Hi Dissboy sorry you got it wrong Norris was forced to leave because club wouldn't give him a 3 year deal . But i agree with you on other points.
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