Pompey chief executive Andy Cullen has promised Pompey are not shirking away from spending money on players - but stressed they're at the start of the sort of journey that's brought major success to the likes of Brighton and Brentford.

He was speaking after criticism from some fans over whether Pompey had spent enough on the squad in the summer to get it ready to compete well in the Championship.

In an interview with The News, Cullen would not talk figures but insisted the spending on the squad had been significant - and the club would continue to look to bring in young talent which was ready for the first team and which could turn into sellable assets in the future.

Cullen told The News: ‘Having spent so much money on capital investment, the primary focus continues to be on investment on the pitch where we can - and that is something we will start to see.

'When there’s a real need to do something, such as the pitch and areas within the stadium fabric, those will be taken on a case-by-case basis. But it’s about consolidating our position in the Championship and continuing to invest in things like transfer fees, which we have done over the last few windows.

‘We had a significant loss last year which will be reported in the next few months. That’s a consequence of the investment we made in players last season in what was a hugely successful campaign.

‘It would be wrong of me to break the spirit of the confidential information and say how much we have spent (in the last transfer window), that is part of the contracts we have signed with other clubs.

‘However we have spent a sizable sum of our budget on transfer fees this summer across a number of players, which particularly underlines the commitment. In all of those cases, we have invested in young first-team ready talent.

‘I can also say we have significantly increased our budget this year going to the Championship. We have more than doubled our wage bill this season on players.

'But it’s not about how much you spend, it’s about identifying the right players, the right players who may go on to become assets for you.

‘Brighton and Brentford have been hugely successful through a measured recruitment strategy over a number of years. Spending fees on players, moving them on through sales and then going again, bringing in the best quality of player with more fees. Coventry have also done it very well in recent years.

‘But you have to start somewhere and we are very much at the start of that particular journey. It is a strategy we remain absolutely committed to to improve the football club and the quality of players which come in.’

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