Former £8m winger Arvin Appiah has been offered the chance to rebuild his career at Pompey

Seven years ago, Pompey triallist Arvin Appiah was considered one of English football’s next big things.

A teenager winger who had been fast-tracked through the academy system at Nottingham Forest, a move to Manchester United was a tantalising reward that looked odds on at the end of his maiden season at the City Ground.

That was until Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh bought Spanish Segunda Division side UD Almería and demanded marquee signings.

Along with Darwin Nunez, Appiah was subsequently chosen, with the £8m forked out for the 18-year-old’s services making him the most expensive signing in Spanish second-tier history.

As Appiah soon found out, though, lofty price tags don't guarantee a player or a team success.

Indeed, thrust into his new Andalucia surroundings without knowing the language, struck down by a severe stomach illness that affected him physically, and then forced into lockdown by Covid, Appiah’s career trajectory began to level off at the

His raw power and directness wasn’t exactly compatible with the Spanish side’s preference to play with rigid tactical geometry under former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Gutl.

So while Almería team-mate Núñez saw his career take off, Appiah was quietly dispatched for a series of loans after one goal in 23 appearances.

In total, the former England under-19 international was sent away six times by Almeria, including a return to the Championship, where he featured 29 times for Rotherham during their 2023-24 relegation campaign.

With zero stability and his confidence shot, it’s little wonder Appiah finds himself as a free agent this summer, following the expiration of the seven-year contract he signed with Almeria in 2019.

His career clearly needs a rebuild, and with Pompey offering the player an opportunity to do that with a run-out against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, there’s a chance those foundations may be laid at Fratton Park.

For head coach John Mousinho, Appiah represents a classic, low-risk gamble who is worth considering, especially given the Blues’ issues in wide areas last season.

But with Pompey on course to deliver an exciting Fratton Park return for Abu Kamara, is it in defence where he sees potential in his triallist?

Indeed, rather than operating in an advanced role during his second-half runout at the Memorial Stadium, Appiah was deployed as a makeshift left-back!

In fairness, Appiah, who had a role in Brandon Downey’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw embraced the challenge. But the reality of his situation would have been immense - a player once bought for millions to unlock European defences, now busting a gut as a trialist full-back to earn an EFL contract.

‘Football changes quickly’, Appiah once said of his lost years abroad. ‘You just need people to believe in you.’

It remains to be seen if Mousinho truly believes in what Appiah has to offer.

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