But he had a major fall-out with the club’s chairman, Serb-American businessman Milan Mandaric, in the week preceding the end of the campaign.

Ostensibly it was over the future of assistant manager Jim Smith and coach Kevin Bond, whose roles at Fratton Park came under scrutiny from the chairman.

But many sources close to the club suspected the row was over Mandaric’s reluctance to allow Redknapp a big enough transfer budget this season to satisfy the former West Ham boss who left Upton Park under similar circumstances three years ago.

The split with Mandaric was officially healed, although the pair have always had an uneasy relationship.

Now Redknapp, who released striker Teddy Sheringham in May at the end of a one-year contract, insists he needs at least three more new signings for Pompey to have a realistic chance of retaining top status this time around.

Already, though, he has also lost key midfielders.

Amdy Faye has picked up a knee injury which prevented the Senegal star’s £3m (€4.5m) move to Fulham, while Russia captain Alexei Smertin has decided to fight for a place at Chelsea, the club which loaned him to Portsmouth all last season.

Redknapp warned: “Unless the club start getting deals sorted out for players we need and who want to come to Fratton Park a relegation scrap is on the cards.

“If I can get another three players it will make it a good squad but if not this season looks like being one of my toughest as a manager.”

He has secured the £1.8m (€2.7m) signing of Lomana LuaLua from Newcastle, who also allowed full-back Andy Griffin to join Pompey on a free transfer.

But the manager admits he “does not know where the next signing is coming from” after Faye’s Senegal team-mate Papa Diop, following a trial and training week at Fratton Park, joined Fulham instead.

A furious Mandaric promised to contact Fulham owner Mohamad Al Fayed to express his displeasure at how the Diop deal was done – but that is unlikely to placate Redknapp.

He admits he would like to sign his former West Ham midfielder Michael Carrick.

But although the Hammers look willing to sell, they are unlikely to accept anything less than £3m (€4.5m) for the England international who is believed keen to move back into the Premiership, but ideally in a return to his north east roots.

Mandaric said today: “Carrick is a talented player and we are always interested in looking at talented players.”

But Mandaric, who claims he has turned down a £2m (€3m) bid for wing-back Matt Taylor from Tottenham, has gone quiet on a bid to recruit Greece midfielder Angelos Basinas, whose club Panathinaikos who are due at Portsmouth in a friendly a week on Saturday.

Pompey have already written off a £2m (€3m) move for Preston striker Ricardo Fuller, who failed a medical because of a knee problem.

Redknapp now says he regrets Pompey’s decision to let former Spurs and Blackburn midfielder Tim Sherwood leave on a free transfer after breaking a leg last season.

But one player he seems glad to see go is former Celtic striker Mark Burchill, who is training with Sunderland with a view to a permanent move where he could link up again on a free transfer with midfielder Carl Robinson, once of Pompey.

Burchill has never managed to establish a first-team place in the Premiership despite some vital goals in the previous season’s promotion campaign and frustrated Redknapp with his injury record.