Dale have been strongly linked with a loan move for Portsmouth centre back Paul Downing.

Rumours started on twitter yesterday with sources close to Pompey and manager Dan Cowley say the defender was set to join us on loan until the end of the season and today it's made the local papers:

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/danny-cowleys-classy-f

Downing started his career at West Bromwich Albion where his Dad, Keith Downing was a coach. He never made a first team appearance for the baggies but had loan spells at Hereford United and Barnet before signing for Walsall in 2012 where he went on to make 182 appearances, scoring 6 goals in four seasons there. He was an ever present in Walsall's League One playoff season in 2015/16.

In the summer of 2016 he left Walsall to join Milton Keynes having rejected Walsall's contract offer. He made 46 appearances for MK before joining Blackburn Rovers on-loan initially before making his move permanent for an undisclosed fee in January 2018. He played 35 games for Rovers, scoring twice.

While at Ewood Park, he joined Doncaster Rovers on loan in January 2019 until the end of the season making 22 appearances.

He joined Portsmouth in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer from Blackburn but injuries have hindered his progress there and he's only managed to make 27 appearances in all competitions.

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