Danny Cowley makes admission about Portsmouth’s pursuit of Premier League forward

Portsmouth head coach Danny Cowley has admitted that he would love to secure a fresh loan agreement with Leicester City for forward George Hirst this summer.

Hirst is set to be handed the chance to prove his worth for the Foxes in pre-season training by manager Brendan Rodgers after recently returning to the King Power Stadium.

During his previous loan spell at Pompey, the forward produced a host of impressive performances for the club in League One.

As well as scoring 13 goals at this level, Hirst also chipped in with three assists in 40 appearances as Portsmouth finished 10th in the third-tier standings.

Portsmouth are looking to sign the forward on a temporary basis ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as they aim to assemble a squad which is capable of reaching new heights in this particular division.

It is understood that Hirst has told Cowley that he is open to the possibility of returning to Fratton Park.

Making reference to Hirst, Cowley has revealed that he would love to be able to call upon the services of the forward again next season.

Speaking to The News, the Pompey boss said: “We’d love to have George back.

“We’re really respectful of Leicester and know he goes back and will train in pre-season.

“They will rightly get a good look at him and hopefully see the progress he made.

“I know that they are pleased with the way we looked after him and the work we did with him, so that gives us satisfaction clubs know their players will be looked after here.

“We’d love to have him back but ultimately that will be a decision made firstly by Leicester City and then George and his representatives.

The Verdict

If Leicester do not believe that Hirst is ready to challenge Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho for a place