Portsmouth's squad is beginning to take shape after four new signings were confirmed today.
Sonny Bradley, Danny East and Romain Padovani will be new names to Pompey fans but Yassin Moutaouakil has signed a one-year-deal after his stay at the club this season.
Bradley and East have signed two-year-deals after they were released from Hull City at the end of the season. Both 21, the former was on loan at Aldershot for the whole of the season just gone whilst the latter made 14 appearances for Northampton and 2 for Gillingham.
Bradley, standing at a huge 6 feet and 4 inches tall is likely to play at centre back whilst East is more versatile and can play all across the back four and in midfield too. Think of him as a younger Shaun Cooper.
Padovani is a central midfielder who spent last season playing for the Monaco B team. The 23-year-old has scored 11 goals in 70 matches but has also been sent off twice. Perhaps he is a peasant's Patrick Vieira?
The quartet join Patrick Agyemang and Phil Smith of those who will officially become Portsmouth players on July 1st.
George Branford, Nick Awford, Jack Maloney, Liam Triggs and Josh Warren have all been offered professional contracts after graduating from the academy but there is no contract offer for Alex Grant who spent some of this season at Havant & Waterlooville.
Maloney has already tasted some first team action this season and is expected to be more involved next season but it will be interesting to see how the others figure. Awford in particular, given that he has his father's name to live up to and there has already been accusations that he has been handed a professional contract because Andy is heavily involved at Pompey.
In other news, Pompey will travel to Dean Court to play Bournemouth on Tuesday, July 23rd as the pre-season schedule continues to build.