Midfielder wanted by Portsmouth during transfer window makes important decision about his future
Pompey’s long-standing admiration for Australia international midfielder Aiden O’Neill looks set to continue from afar.
That’s because the Standard Liege skipper has signed a new contract with the Belgian Pro League side that will keep him at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne until 2028.
The contract extension is seen as just reward for his contributions since joining from Melbourne City in 2023. O’Neill has featured 33 times for Liege, with his importance to manager Ivan Leko also demonstrated when he was handed the club captaincy during the close season.
Les Rouches’ decision to promote the 26-year-old to the position after just one term in Belgium helps explain why they never encouraged Pompey to continue their pursuit of the former Burnley player in the summer.
The Fratton Park outfit saw advances for the defensive midfielder turned down in June, with reports from the continent claiming the Blues’ efforts fell well short of the 2-3m euros valuation Liege had placed on the player.
That prompted Pompey - who first enquired about O’Neill when scouting fellow Australian Kusini Yengi before his 2023 move to Fratton Park - to switch their attentions to midfield alternatives during the recent transfer window. As a result, Andre Dozzell, Abdoulaye Kamara and Freddie Potts were brought in to bolster Pompey engine-room options that already boasted Marlon Pack, Owen Moxon, Terry Devlin, Tom Lowery and Ben Stevenson.
Until Saturday’s defeat at Burnley, head coach John Mousinho had preferred Pack and Dozzell as his central midfield pairing. However, Potts partnered Pack at Turf Moor as he was handed his first start since the completion of his loan move from West Ham last month.
O’Neill has featured in every minute of every game for Liege this season. They currently sit seventh in the Belgian top-flight.