David James to be player-coach for Portsmouth?
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Portsmouth tell David James: Decide on our offer of player-coach in next 24 hours or it will be withdrawn
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.