Pompey could be about to offer top scorer Yakubu as bait in a bid to land Newcastle bad boy Craig Bellamy.

Chairman Milan Mandaric is keen to strike a deal that will see Yakubu, pictured, move to Newcastle in the summer - providing the Toon allow Bellamy to join Pompey on loan for the rest of this season. Even if Bellamy did join Pompey by noon tomorrow, he would be cup-tied for Saturday having played against Yeading in the third round.

Pompey defender David Unsworth, meanwhile, has joined the exodus from Fratton Park - after signing on loan for Championship leaders Ipswich Town until the end of the season.

Unsworth has followed midfield pair Nigel Quashie (Saints) and Amdy Faye (Newcastle) out of the exit door to be reunited with Joe Royle, his former manager at Everton.

Teenage defender Richard Duffy has also left Pompey in a three-month loan deal at Coventry.

Meanwhile, Pompey were handed a blow in their bids to sign three Greeks yesterday. They may now have to wait until the end of the season to sign AEK Athens midfielder Konstantinos Ksouranis, and Egaleo defender Yorgos Alexopoulos.