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Cowley Confirms Town Talks With Pompey Winger Jacobs
Tuesday, 29th Jun 2021 08:46

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has confirmed that the Blues have held talks with Pompey winger Michael Jacobs but says the 30-year-old won’t leave Fratton Park unless the deal is right for all three parties.

News that Town had been given permission to speak to Jacobs, who missed the end of 2020/21 after undergoing knee surgery, emerged last week but Cowley says he is still in his plans at Fratton Park.

“If we can see Michael Jacobs 30-plus times next year, then the team will benefit,” he told the Portsmouth News.

“That’s the challenge. In recent years he hasn’t been able to play regularly enough, if he did he’d be playing in the Championship. There’s no doubt about that.

“You are always open-minded aren’t you? Every player at these levels has a value — that’s the truth of it.

“Michael spoke to them [Ipswich] and you always want to be fair with people, don’t you? Try to treat people like you’d like to be treated yourself.

“We are pleased it [the move] hasn’t happened [so far]. Ultimately there are three parties to every transfer negotiation, it has to be right for all three parties — and we won’t do anything unless it is right for us. We have to safeguard the future of the club.

“Michael Jacobs is a top player, really creative, who has shown last season what an impact he can have on the team. It would have to be on our terms, for sure.”

Jacobs, who injury limited to 13 starts and nine sub appearances last season, scoring twice, previously played for Town manager Paul Cook at Wigan and was a member of the Latics side which won the League One title in 2017/18.

Having undergone surgery in April, Jacobs is currently back out on the grass but not yet ready to join his team-mates as pre-season gets under way.

“Michael’s working, he’s motivated, he’s focused to do well,” Cowley added. “He’ll be back as soon as possible hopefully, so [head physio] Bobby Bacic is accelerating that process as we speak. It’s very difficult to put timelines on it.

“He’s quality, but we have to get him on the grass more regularly, fitter, stronger. He didn’t have a pre-season last year, we want him fit and strong this year. That is the challenge for the medical team and the sports science team.

“We won’t get to see him in the early part of pre-season, so they've got to get him fit, get him strong and get him ready.”

Rothwell-born Jacobs started his career with Northampton, during which time he had a spell on loan at Nuneaton, before joining Derby County in the summer 2012.

Two years later he moved on to Wolves following a loan spell, then spent another stint on loan at Blackpool before joining Wigan in 2015 and then Pompey in 2020. He has another year left on his contract at Fratton Park.

Meanwhile, former Pompey keeper Craig MacGillivray, who was understood to be among the glovesmen interesting the Blues, joined Charlton on a free transfer yesterday.


Photo: Matchday Images



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ipswich134 added 08:48 - Jun 29
Player who is still injured and 30 years old is a risk. I don't think it helps if we intend to have a small united squad.
15

Saxonblue74 added 08:49 - Jun 29
Sounds risky!
13

chanteledatractorgal added 08:55 - Jun 29
Quality playaaaaaa
1

Ipswichbusiness added 09:06 - Jun 29
Knee surgery? Too risky for my liking.
8

buzbyblue added 09:11 - Jun 29
Like others this is the first player linked to us that I have doubts about, talented but very injury prone so could the money be spent elsewhere?
8

GiveusaWave added 09:14 - Jun 29
Too risky. Let him stay at Pompey.
3

markchips added 09:15 - Jun 29
Still think this will happen. Cook knows what he is going to get another player is a risk so it will be all about the structure of the deal.
0

Bergholtblue added 09:21 - Jun 29
Let Pompey get him fit, then if he does stay injury free and his form is good, go get him in the January window.
5

emergencylime added 09:28 - Jun 29
I never really entertained the idea of the Cowleys being linked with the Town job over recent years, but I think Danny speaks pretty frankly here, at least that's how I interpreted it.
Not saying that coherent = good manager, but there's certainly overlap.
3

Barty added 09:36 - Jun 29
No thanks
1

SouperJim added 09:36 - Jun 29
You have to wonder what Cowleys motivation is for flapping his gums here. Smacks of negotiation by media.
5

Linkboy13 added 09:42 - Jun 29
It does sound risky but the medical experts at the club must know if the knee surgery has sorted the problem.
0

ThaiBlue added 09:44 - Jun 29
Leave him at pompey,sounds like a sicknote
3

blues1 added 09:51 - Jun 29
Buzbyblue. Hes hardly injury prone. Just had 1 unlucky season. Prior to that played 150 games in 3 seasons at wigan.
2

Blueys_child added 10:15 - Jun 29
This one would be worth the risk in my opinion! One injury hit season means we could get him at a discounted price despite Cowley trying to add a bit to the price tag here... if we want him then get him now. Its worth the task of easing him in slowly/being careful with him rather than risk loosing a pretty handy winger at this level, something we've lacked for many years!
2

brendenward35 added 10:28 - Jun 29
Just pompey trying to up their fee for him. If PC wants him I'm sure Ashton can negotiate a good deal for Town.
0

Radlett_blue added 10:41 - Jun 29
"back on the grass"?
Sound familiar to anyone?
1

Guthrum added 10:55 - Jun 29
If Jacobs can help us win 25 or 30 games in the coming season, then we'll very likely get promoted, even if he misses all the rest. It's a calculated risk, not a hopeful punt. One that Cook and Ashton obviously think is worth investigating and maybe putting some money into.
0

GiroJim added 11:24 - Jun 29
Smacks of Cowley wanting rid. Knowing he may not be fit regularly. Trying to big him up. I think we should steer well clear. Cant see him being fit for the start of the season anyway. And Cook wants a small squad, so we need fit players raring to go from the off. No sick notes. We have had plenty of those in recent years.
1

BlueArrow added 11:51 - Jun 29
NMS No More Sicknotes.
0

dubblue added 12:14 - Jun 29
Sounds risky to me, might we interested if we were to get him on a knock down price but I thought we were looking for a smaller squad
0

WeWereZombies added 12:50 - Jun 29
If we are going to try and sign a winger from Portsmouth then I would rather it was Marcus Harness...but he has a year left on his contract and I suspect is the one Cowley wants to keep hold of. At twenty five years of age he still has room for development and growth as a player.
0

HARRY10 added 13:00 - Jun 29
Injury prone 30 year old - the hope that it would be different didn't last long
0

dougalmcguire added 13:30 - Jun 29
I guess it is Cowley talking the price up a bit, knowing Ipswich has money to spend and Pompey are cutting their squad budget. He'd probably prefer to keep him rather than let him go to a rival, despite his recent injury record....
0

Monkey_Blue added 13:39 - Jun 29
SouperJim. You can't say Cowley is flapping his gums without acknowledging that's all Cook has done since he arrived. The difference is cowley isn't devaluing his players
-1


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