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Andrew Moon details Portsmouth stance on out-of-contract players ahead of summer

The Portsmouth board are currently fixated on supporting John Mousinho as he looks to guide the Blues back to the Championship.

Pompey currently sit seven points clear at the top of League One, ahead of Derby County and Bolton Wanderers in the standings.

However, an eye does need to be cast forward to the summer window.

Portsmouth v Northampton Town - Sky Bet League One
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Matt Macey, Ryan Schofield, Toby Steward, Sean Raggett, Connor Ogilvie, Joe Rafferty, Zak Swanson, Joe Morrell, Marlon Pack, Liam Vincent and Josh Martin are all out of contract at the end of the season.

Talking on his latest Moon’s Musings, BBC Sport journalist Andrew Moon has detailed Pompey’s stance on their out-of-contract players.

Andrew Moon on Portsmouth’s out-of-contract stars

At present, Moon revealed the club are yet to kickstart discussions regarding extensions at Fratton Park.

“It’s gone very quiet at the moment. The thing with contracts is that when you get to January, you almost need to go through all of the players and make you’re position clear,” he said.

“Either offer them something or wait until the summer. If you offer one player a contract, it looks a bit strange to other players who are wondering why it hasn’t come their way.”

He added: “It’s often easier to wait until the end of the season. People can only sign pre-contract agreements with clubs abroad, so Pompey will have a window to offer new terms before anyone else taps that player up. Remember, Joe Morrell and a few others have an option year. Option years often come with a slight wage increase.”

Portsmouth v Blackpool - Sky Bet League One
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Considering Pompey’s league position, leaving discussions until the end of the season seems like an intelligent decision.

Promotion is far from a given, and planning for another season in League One would be completely different to one in the Championship.

Pack would seem to be the priority for the Pompey board. The 32-year-old has been immense since returning to Fratton Park and could easily step back up to the second tier.