Portsmouth chief reveals 'underestimated' driving force behind impressive summer recruitment which pitches Blues in promotion battle with Ipswich, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday

Danny Cowley added 12 signings to his squad ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, transforming the Blues into early-season promotion contenders.

However, the chief executive pinpoints successfully retaining a number of pivotal players as the launchpad for further team strengthening.

Out-of-contract pair Sean Raggett and Michael Jacobs were persuaded to sign new deals, while options were taken up on Louis Thompson and Reeco Hackett.

And retaining performers of such calibre early in the window ensured Cowley could subsequently prioritise his player search elsewhere.

Cullen told The News: ‘Don’t underestimate the fact that very early into the window we were able to complete deals and re-sign a number of players which gave us the platform.

‘Reeco Hackett, Michael Jacobs, Sean Raggett, Louis Thompson, all of those set the foundations. That should not be ignored.

‘You know you’ve got them, which then influences your recruitment going forward in terms of knowing what you need and knowing you have those particular positions secure.

‘We had to be patient in some respects to get what we wanted, but we didn’t panic, we were very, very determined to make sure we were able to get those we wanted.

‘In some cases, we had to act very, very quickly when opportunities came our way. We fought off competition for 3-4 players, in fact a couple of deals were more or less already done at other clubs for players that, ultimately, we were able to secure.

‘Those are things that if you are persistent and work hard, you get your rewards. That’s credit to the hard work of Phil Boardman, Danny and Nicky and their presentations which made it really compelling for players to choose Pompey over other options.

‘I think the squad is stronger than last season. We have improved things with each window – and this was a particularly important window because it was the third window of both myself and Danny being at the club.

‘You need three windows to really start to model the club, but you don’t stop there, you continue to improve and you continue to keep building.’

Of those recruited during the last transfer window, seven joined permanently, with five arriving at Fratton Park on loan.

And Cullen believes the foundations are in place to continue building on the squad’s strengths.

He added: ‘We have used the loan market which is really, really important, and also been able to recruit some permanents in key positions.

‘It’s not just looking at this season, though, but a little further ahead – and we will continue to do that.

‘So if we look at our squad to see players signed up or those we have options on for 2023-24, again we’re in a really good position.

‘That is a better position than we were for 2022-23 – which was a better one than 2021-22.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Whether you're gazing out over the Mediterranean or spending this summer at home, take advantage of our 50% discount on an annual sports or regular digital subscription, from just £25!

We will be on the ball with all the latest Pompey news, match coverage, off-the-pitch features, and analysis from Fratton Park all year round.

Purchase your annual digital package and use promo code SUMSP50 at checkout.