Pompey trio in contract talks

The General · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:11 pm

Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin will open talks with Patrik Berger, Steve Stone and Shaka Hislop, three of the club's out-of-contract players, who are "targets" of other clubs.

All three will be asked later this week whether they want to sign new deals to stay at Fratton Park next season.

"It will also depend on financial conditions," said the Frenchman. "They are all targets for clubs but maybe they want to stay. I want to keep some of them and now we are safe we will talk with them this week."

Pompey's Premiership survival is assured despite a 2-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday. But Perrin wants a maximum six points from the two remaining games against Bolton at home on Saturday and at West Bromwich Albion the following weekend.

The latter could help seal the relegation of local rivals Southampton, but Portsmouth will almost certainly be without Lomano LuaLua for the rest of the season after he tore a hamstring in the win over the Saints last week.

And Berger, fancied by Aston Villa, may have played his last game for the South Coast club, having damaged an ankle in the same match.

Full back Andy Griffin is also ruled out for the last three games of the season with a knee injury.

Berger, 31, underwent an X-ray during the week, which ended the former Liverpool star's fears of a broken ankle but Pompey physio Gary Sadler said the Czech star is "a major doubt" for the rest of the campaign.

Pompey refused to comment on a rumoured bid to bring Russia captain Alexei Smertin back to Fratton Park from Chelsea this summer but the idea is a hit with skipper Arjan de Zeeuw.

After a season on loan at Portsmouth following his Ł3.45million move from Bordeaux, he has made only 19 starts for the new Premiership champions this term and there are hopes he could be lured back on another loan.

If Chelsea decide to sell for around Ł2million, the dynamic midfielder may even move permanently and Dutchman de Zeeuw would be delighted.

"It would be fantastic to have him back," said the centre half. "He had a great season for us and won many points with his work-rate and skill. I'm sure the other players would be really happy to have him back, too.

"He was a great character, always happy, always busy, always working. He was great in midfield, especially for his own defenders. He was like a little vacuum cleaner clearing up in front of you.

"We went through a very sticky patch the season he was here but he never let his work rate drop and got us points with his industrious efforts."

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Pompey trio in contract talks

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