There has been a positive development for Pompey’s chances of acquiring long-term central defence target George Edmundon.

Talks are reportedly ongoing with players who may yet depart Portman Road before the transfer window closes at 11 p.m. on Friday, according to Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

And with Dara O’Shea’s £12 million signing over the weekend, Edmundson is allegedly now the Tractor Boys’ sixth-choice centre back, so there’s a good chance he’ll be let go by the Premier League’s newcomers in the days to come.

Marcus Harness, a former Blues winger, may also leave the Suffolk team, according to twtd.co.uk, since McKenna is reportedly close to signing Luton winger Chiedozie Ogbene for £8 million. The 28-year-old, who cost around £750,000 when he transferred from Pompey to Ipswich in 2022, has started Ipswich’s first two games of the season as a substitute for Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively.

However, similar to Edmundson, his future is now uncertain as the Portman Road manager acknowledged that “honest conversations” have been held to assist the Tractor Boys in reducing their current squad of 27 players.

Before his team’s Carabao Cup match against AFC Wimbledon on Wednesday, McKenna was questioned about whether he had any harsh choices to make before the transfer market closed.

The Northern Irishman responded, saying that it’s not always about making brutal choices. The goal is to determine what is best for both the players and the club.

Everyone wants to play in the Premier League, of course, but there are only 11 players who can play each week, and you can only keep a respectable number of players below that to maintain the right depth in your squad.

Of course, there are restrictions on having a large squad, but that is our goal. We’ve already had talks with the players, and at our club, we make it a point to act in the players’ best interests by trying to have honest dialogues with them and, whenever feasible, striking a balance between our interests and their professional goals.

“We’ll be having some of those this week and we’re having those conversations every day, every week throughout the season anyway. We’ll make sure that we have the right options, depth, and cover in the squad and we’ll also try and find the right pathway and the right options for each player who is under our care.”

In January, Pompey made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Edmundson, as the 27-year-old was unexpectedly given the opportunity to contribute more to Ipswich’s elevation to the Premier League.

The former Rangers player played eight times in the league during the second half of the season as the Tractor Boys finished second behind Championship title-winners Leicester, despite having only appeared twice in the Championship before Christmas.

Since then, the Blues have been monitoring the player’s availability without hearing anything positive from the Portman Road team. But O’Shea’s arrival and McKenna’s most recent remarks about the size of Ipswich’s squad have raised doubts over Edmundson’s future once more.

“It would be inappropriate to speak about any individuals,” McKenna continued. We talk to every member of the team about their career path, available opportunities, potential position within the team, and what might be best for them both this season and going beyond. We take that action for each member of the team.

Pompey still need a centre defender, even though they have already signed 13 players during the current transfer window. During Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough, John Mousinho was obliged to pair Jordan Williams and Ryley Tower in the centre of defence due to a combination of injuries and illness suffered by Conor Shawughnessy, Regan Poole, and Tom McIntyre.

Since moving from Rangers to Ipswich in 2021, Edmundson has made 75 appearances for the team; at the time, the Blues were also interested in signing him.

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