Key Portsmouth figure issues contract negotiations update

Portsmouth chief executive Andy Cullen has confirmed that negotiations are underway to try and tie down multiple players to new contracts before the summer.

The south coast club are destined for another season in League One, as they sit 12 points off the play-off places with seven matches to play.

Beginning the 2022-23 campaign in the third tier of English football would be the sixth straight season they’ve competed in League One – in two of those they’ve lost out in the play-off semi-finals.

This summer though could see some key players depart, with the likes of Ronan Curtis and Ryan Tunnicliffe having contracts until the summer of 2023 with no guarantees of extending them, as well as Marcus Harness who will likely have the option in his deal triggered this summer to make sure club potentially get a fee for his services.

The more immediate concern is for those who are out of contract this coming June, with the likes of Aiden O’Brien, Sean Raggett and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild as of now departing the club when their deals expire.

Speaking on current contract talks though, Cullen told the Portsmouth News: “Contracts are a work in progress, we have regular recruitment meetings.

‘I wouldn’t want to comment on individual players because this is private, you have to be respectful of individual players and, naturally, those discussions are ongoing.

“What is important is we look at what we want for next season, in terms of players we need to recruit, those we’d like to retain, and the players we’d be very keen to exercise the options open to us.

‘It is work in progress. It’s about assessment and keeping our business as private and confidential as we can, otherwise then you start to alert other clubs to what you are doing.

‘There