Having narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs earlier this year, Portsmouth will be determined to push on under the guidance of manager Danny Cowley next season.

The 42-year-old has already started his preparations for the upcoming campaign by launching a complete overhaul of his squad in recent weeks.

With Pompey looking to secure a return to the Championship in 2022, it will be intriguing to see whether Cowley is able to assemble a team which is capable of achieving this particular goal between now and August.

Whilst Portsmouth have only made two signings so far this summer, they are now seemingly closing in a deal for a player who possesses a vast amount of Football League experience.

According to Football Insider, Pompey have made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams after holding talks with the 34-year-old over a move.

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It is understood that Portsmouth are now in the box-seat to sign Williams on a free transfer when his contract with the Lions expires later this month.

Having parted ways with Andy Cannon, Bryn Morris, Tom Naylor and Ben Close, Pompey will be in the market for a new midfielder and thus the Millwall veteran could potentially fit the bill.

Used on a sporadic basis by the Lions during the previous campaign, Williams was limited to 12 starts in the Championship due to the presence of Ryan Woods and Ryan Leonard.

With first-team football no longer guaranteed at The Den, the midfielder could be tempted to prolong his career by joining Portsmouth.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Providing that Portsmouth do indeed seal a deal for Williams, it could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business by Cowley who will be keen to put his own stamp on the club's squad ahead of his first full season in charge.

Blessed with a wealth of experience, the midfielder has made 185 appearances in the third-tier during his career and thus knows exactly what it takes to compete at this level.

Whilst Williams' lack of consistency during the previous campaign resulted in him averaging a relatively underwhelming WhoScored match rating of 6.47 in the Championship, he may benefit from dropping back down to League One.

If the midfielder is able to make a positive start to life at Fratton Park, he could emerge as a key player for the club as they look to launch a push for a top-two finish in the second-tier during the upcoming campaign.

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