Portsmouth are in a race against time to offload attacker Harvey Blair before the Polish transfer window shuts at midnight tonight. The 22-year-old former Liverpool player's future at Fratton Park is in serious doubt after he was omitted from the club's 25-man Football League squad, as reported by portsmouth.co.uk this week.
Blair joined Pompey in August 2024 but has struggled to make a consistent impact, scoring just once in 29 appearances. His availability has been severely limited by persistent injury problems. The club currently sits 17th in the Championship with six points from five games, having scored seven goals and conceded eight. They are five points behind league leaders West Ham.
Why has Harvey Blair been left out of the squad?
Harvey Blair's exclusion from the 25-man squad announced on Monday evening was a clear signal he is not in first-team plans. He was also left out of the 20-man match-day squad for the recent fixture against Cardiff. His last involvement came as an unused substitute in the match against Derby on September 1. There has been no suggestion that injury is behind his omission, unlike several other players who missed the squad list.
Connor Ogilvie, Keshi Anderson, Jacob Farrell, Mark Kosznovszky and Josh Murphy were also left out, with the absences of Ogilvie, Anderson, Kosznovszky and Murphy likely due to injury. Portsmouth's current injuries list is a significant factor in squad management, with those four players joined by Franco Umeh on the sidelines.
Which clubs are interested in signing him?
Polish Ekstraklasa side Widzew Lodz have shown strong interest in Blair during the latter stages of the transfer window. That interest has reportedly quietened in recent weeks, but Portsmouth remain open to doing business. Widzew Lodz are presently 13th in their league, having won just one of their opening seven games.
Blair has previously been linked with moves to Servette in Switzerland and Ferencvaros in Hungary, but those transfer windows have since closed. This leaves the Polish route as the most viable option before their deadline passes. His contract with Portsmouth is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season.
How has Blair performed for Portsmouth?
Harvey Blair made a surprise first appearance of this season off the bench in the 2-1 defeat at Bristol City last month. He replaced Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and operated on the left-wing for the final 27 minutes, being preferred as a substitute over Luke Brooke-Smith on that occasion. His most notable contribution last season was providing an assist for Adrian Segecic in the match at Stoke back in April.
The arrival of new attacking options this summer, including Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Luke Brooke-Smith, Eoin Kenny and Abu Kamara, has pushed Blair further down the pecking order. All four new signings have shown encouraging early performances, making Blair's pathway to regular football even more difficult. The club elected to keep three spaces available in their submitted 25-man squad, indicating potential for further movement.
What happens next for Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's immediate focus shifts to their next Championship fixture, an away trip to face 7th-placed Charlton on September 12. Managerial decisions on the squad will be influenced by the need to balance resources and manage a challenging start to the season. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page.
The league standings show a tight early season, and every point is vital. Offloading Blair would free up a squad place and potentially generate funds. Whether a deal with Widzew Lodz can be revived before the midnight deadline remains the pressing question. Harvey Blair's next appearance in a Portsmouth shirt now seems highly unlikely.
