Portsmouth say no thanks to Rangers bid for Tommy Smith
With hopes fading over the £4.1m transfer of Nikica Jelavic, talks reviving over James Beattie and Georgie Welcome still on trial Rangers appear to have revived their interest in Smith.
The striker scored once in fourteen appearances for Pompey last season-at home to relegated Hull- after signing from Watford last August.
Despite their well documented financial problems which saw them docked 10 points for going into administration last season and listing just four substitutes for their opening Championship fixture of the season Pompey insist that they won’t be forced into any cut-price sales.
Manager Steve Cotterill said: “People think they can offer anything and because of our situation then we will accept but believe me that is not the case.
“We are not under any pressure to sell any of our players and we don’t have to sell anybody.
“There are maybe one or two players in my squad that I would be willing to let go but Tommy Smith is definitely not one of them.
“He is one of the players here that I believe can help take this club forward. He is not for sale – end of story!”
Cotterill’s quotes are remarkably similar to those that Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou used in June to dismiss a £400,000 bid from Rangers for Smith.
He said: “I’ve received an offer from Rangers for Tommy Smith, it came via the player’s agent earlier this week but has been turned down flat.
“I have to say I was absolutely gobsmacked when I was told about the offer.
“It was an absolute joke, nowhere near the level we value Tommy. It can only be described as derisory.
“If clubs think that because Portsmouth are in administration we will accept any old offer, then they are mistaken.”
With just one training session to go before the start of the SPL season Rangers attempts to add to their squad are looking increasingly desperate.
As recently as the weekend Walter Smith claimed that they could sign six players but would rather sign three of the required quality.
Twenty three months after snapping up Steven Davis, Maurice Edu and Pedro Mendes in a blaze of publicity Smith is finding it much tougher to bring in new faces.
With a wages ceiling of £18,000 a week and the clock ticking down towards the end of the transfer window Rangers chances of bringing in first team players are reducing fast.
Queens Park Rangers are reported to be interested in signing Smith while the protracted bid to sign Jelavic from Rapid Vienna seems to be dying a death over the wages on offer from Rangers.
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