D-Day revealed for Portsmouth departures as future’s decided
John Mousinho has revealed Pompey’s players will have clarity on their futures by Monday.
And the Blues boss anticipates a relatively ‘straightforward’ process letting his squad members know what lies ahead for them, compared to previous seasons.
Colby Bishop and Regan Poole agreed new terms this year, while Andre Dozzell sees an automatic 12-month extension to his deal kick in after Pompey secured their places in the Championship.
Mousinho has also stated there will be some honest discussions with players who are contracted next season, but aren’t seen as having significant roles moving forward.
The Pompey boss explained meetings have already taken place with players who are either on their way, or definitely wanted next season.
The head coach confirmed everyone would know their fates by Monday, ahead of the club’s retained list being officially released.
Mousinho said: ‘I’ve spoken to some players where it’s straightforward, it’s thanking them and wishing them well or, depending on the circumstances, it’ll be great to have them back.
‘There’s those who will be involved at the weekend, where I don’t think it’s fair to have those conversations yet.
‘There’s fewer out-of-contract players and fewer conundrums. When I say conundrums, sometimes we have to work out if we’re going to offer players contacts or not, take up options and all of these sorts of things.
‘We’ve seen the past two summers there’s been more of those decisions, the squad seems a bit more straightforward particularly because we’ve managed to agree contracts with those players too. So it should be fairly straightforward.’
Milosevic and Sunderland man still at Pompey
Mousinho explained all of the existing squad remains in place at Pompey, as the curtain comes down on their successful Championship return against Bristol City.
Sunderland’s Adil Aouchiche is still at the club, despite suffering a wrist injury against Norwich which subsequently curtailed his season. That came after a start, as survival was secured against Watford on Easter Monday.
Swedish defender Alex Milosevic remains with Pompey, despite not playing a game after arriving in March amid the club’s defensive worries.
Milosevic then picked up a calf injury in training last month, but will complete his rehab before seeing what options are available to him this summer.
The Pompey boss feels it’s right his club look after the centre-half, so he can continue playing immediately if the opportunity presents itself.
Mousinho added: ‘All of the lads including Adil and Alex are still here. It’s important for Alex to get the late stages of his rehab right because, depending on what happens next, he could have participation in a summer league or elsewhere so he has to make sure he gets himself fit.’