Portsmouth could face another game of brinkmanship with Kanu after he left for a hectic summer with Nigeria with a new contract still unsigned.The striker, who scored the winner against Cardiff in last month's FA Cup final at Wembley, is still stalling on the extended one-year deal which he could have signed in January.

And with Pompey being linked to a host of prospective new forwards such as Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse and Emile Heskey, there is even the possibility that Kanu could eventually be told to take it or leave it.

The former Ajax, Inter Milan and Arsenal star who was snapped up on a free transfer from West Brom two years ago, did not sign his last 12-month deal until a few days before the start of last season.

He is now back in his homeland having already featured in a friendly international against Austria and World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Sierra Leone - with two further qualifiers to come against Equatorial Guinea in the next two weeks.

And Pompey's chief executive Peter Storrie admits he does not expect Kanu to put pen to paper again until the start of pre-season training training on July 8.

Storrie said: "As far as I am aware, there are no problems with the contract and Kanu will sign it when he comes back from international duty.

"Considering his international schedule, I would not think it will happen before then. It is up to him."

On the back of his Wembley heroics, Kanu, 31, may still be looking for a longer-term deal - which Pompey are unwilling to give because of his age and history of injuries.

But the club remains keen to wrap up a deal before their pre-season tour of Nigeria in July, where Kanu is a national hero.

Pompey play Manchester United in a money-spinning friendly at Nigeria's Abuja National Stadium on July 27, just two weeks before their Community Shield Clash with Sir Alex Ferguson's Premier League champions at Wembley two weeks later.

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