Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has offered an insight into Ronan Curtis' situation following the end of the transfer window.

What's the talk?

The 42-year-old has revealed that there were enquiries made for the striker over the course of the transfer window, but no official offers came in for him.

The Pompey head coach believes that the 25-year-old deserved to be in demand and suggested that the pandemic may have played a part in the lack of offers.

He told The News: "There has been a lot of noise around Ronan, a lot of people telling Ronan this and telling Ronan that. He needs to focus first and foremost. He needs to play well to get into our team and affect our team – and we know he has the capabilities.

"I thought we saw some of his best at the back end of last season, we know what he can do, it’s about trying to do it on a consistent basis. Part of it is the pandemic, but there's a reason why we didn’t receive an offer. That’s the truth, we had some enquiries, but there was no offer.
"If you look at his numbers and his assists, let’s be honest, he deserved more interest than there was. Now there's a reason why there’s not that interest. I don’t understand that, but there’s a reason.

Fans will be buzzing

Portsmouth fans will be buzzing with this update from Cowley as it suggests that clubs who are interested in Curtis are not willing to spend the money required to sign him. They refused to do so this summer, given the lack of concrete bids, and that bodes well for the January transfer window.

If prospective suitors are not able or willing to splash out on Curtis now, why would that be any different in the winter window in four months' time? This means that Pompey could have a great chance of being able to keep hold of the winger for the entire season, which could bolster their chances of mounting a promotion push out of League One.

Last season, Cowley tipped the Irish forward to become a 'top player' in the future, outlining what he needs to do to achieve that.

He told The News: "There’s a lot of work to do on that because he’s going to be a top player – and to become a top player you must always be in emotional control otherwise the opponent is going to see that as a weakness and try to exploit that.

"The higher level you go, the more emotional it is and the more you've got to show control.

"We are working really hard with Ronan. He is so willing and keen to want to improve in that area and he was brilliant on Saturday."

In the 2020/21 campaign, Curtis' performances backed up the hype. He was Portsmouth's highest-rated player on WhoScored, with an average rating of 7.10. The forward produced 10 goals and seven assists as he terrorised opposition defences with his superb runs down the left flank, showcasing his ability at League One level.

This is why Portsmouth fans must be delighted that he could now be at the club for the rest of the season, due to the interest not being sufficient enough to warrant offers, as his talent could improve their chances of going up. He has shown that he can perform consistently and deliver goals and assists, which could help Pompey win a lot of matches at this level of football.

AND in other news, Danny Cowley makes fresh Portsmouth transfer claim which could frustrate fans...