'Premium player' transfer still expected - despite Portsmouth landing £1.95m Swansea winger
Pompey bolstered their right-wing options on Thursday with the loan arrival of Swansea forward Florian Bianchini. But will the Frenchman be the Blues’ last arrival in that position? Definitely not, according to Jordan Cross.
Pompey fans have been told they can still expect a ‘premium’ right-winger to arrive at Fratton Park before the close of the transfer window.
That’s despite the Blues completing a loan move for Swansea forward Florian Bianchini, who was unveiled as the Fratton Park outfit’s fifth signing of the summer on Thursday night.
Confirmation of the Frenchman’s arrival came hot on the heels of Paddy Lane’s departure on a three-year deal to League One Reading. It also comes at a time when Matt Ritchie continues to look for a move away from Pompey and Harvey Blair’s hamstring injury is poised to keep him on the sidelines for longer than previously expected.
In that respect, the right-wing position was clearly a priority for the Blues as the countdown to their season-opener against Oxford United gathers pace.
The arrival of Bianchini - a £1.95m signing from French outfit Bastia last summer - will, no doubt, ease any anxiety expressed about the Blues’ options there. And while some will still point to the loan aspect of the deal, The News’ Jordan Cross believes Pompey’s work is far from done on the wings.
A high-tariff position that requires a high-tariff signing, he believes the Blues are still to spend big on a player they hope will have the same impact down the right-hand side of their attack as Josh Murphy has down the left flank.
Confidence Pompey will still sign ‘premium’ right-winger
Speaking on the latest episode of Pompey talk, which is available to watch here, the Blues writer said: ‘Pompey will look to keep strengthening that area as well, I believe. There’s been a suggestion Pompey are doing this on the cheap because they've signed a loan player.
‘(But) I think there's going to be a premium player still coming in that department and it's where Pompey need to focus their budget.’
He added: ‘Simply, you've lost Paddy Lane and Matt Richie's going out the door. So those places need filling straight away.
‘John has said this week that the focus is on the winger department. It's not the first time he's said it, he's said it more than once about where Pompey are in terms of their spending.
‘He said back in March about the need to press on from the £1.27m paid for Hayden Matthews (in January). The insights I seem to get (suggest) Pompey now could be looking in the region of £2m to £2.5m. Let's see where that ends up.
‘Pelle Mattson was someone they were looking at, weren't they? But I think they had an evaluation on him that wasn't quite the same as Silkeborg’s.
‘But, again, you were getting into that £2m region where Pompey were looking to spend.
‘I know there's been a degree of consternation about it (the Bianchini deal) being a loan and where’s Pompey's spending?
‘But I think you will still see (incomings still) and the term I use is high tariff positions (which) come at high tariff prices. So I think you still need that and I think that's what we will still see from Pompey in this window.’