Portsmouth are to withdraw their offer of a player-coach role to
David James unless he can give them an answer in the next 24
hours.
England goalkeeper James, 39, who is a free agent, held talks
with manager Steve Cotterill last week and Portsmouth gave him the
offer of a new playing contract with the option to coach and take
his badges.
They hoped to have an answer by last weekend but James has yet
to come back to them as he weighs up his options.
Still to make his mind up: David James
Fulham and West Brom are both interested in James but it is
understood they have yet to make that interest formal.
Portsmouth manager Cotterill is a fan of James and knows he can
give his new side strong foundation in their promotion bid.
However, he is under pressure to finalise his playing squad quickly
with just three weeks to go before their opening league fixture
with Coventry and club chiefs are prepared to pull the plug on a
James deal so he can move on other targets.
Portsmouth are still under transfer embargo but have been given
special dispensation to sign a goalkeeper and Cotterill may instead
offer a deal to James's understudy Jamie Ashdown who has travelled
with the club on their tour of America but is also out of
contract.
Meanwhile Portsmouth are giving a trial to former Burnley's
27-year-old left-back Stephen Jordan.