Pompey have not given up on the idea of signing midfielder Michael Doyle - but will only so if Paul Cok can make room in his midfield ranks.
The Sheffield United has trained with Pompey but missed out on the trip to Portugal with the Blues unable to offer him a contract.
With speculation continuing over one or two of the club's existing midfielders, namely Johnny Ertl and James Dunne, Doyle remains a player Cook admires.
Speaking to The News at theclub's Portugal training base, Cook said: ‘We’ve been having talks with Michael Doyle about coming in. He is a fantastic player and a fantastic role model for younger lads, his professionalism speaks for itself. He is a stand-out professional. It is a case of just watch this space.
‘However, we have also got good lads in those areas at the minute and you have got to make sure your signings don’t suffocate the players you’ve got. At the minute I didn’t feel we were in a position to agree a deal with the amount of central midfielders in the building, it is as simple as that.
‘For publicity, if we wanted to sign Michael we could agree a deal, but I don’t think it is the correct thing to do at this moment in time. When you look at the balance of the squad I think it is important you get the balance right. Certainly, signing too many players in an area can imbalance your squad.
‘Michael is very much on our radar, but should he chose to sign for someone we would respect that, without a doubt.’
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