John Mousinho rules out Portsmouth move for in-demand League One midfielder
The midfielder is a free agent this summer after three years at London Road
John Mousinho has dismissed reports of Pompey’s interest in Archie Collins.
According to the Peterborough Telegraph last week, the Blues were among four clubs interested in the free agent following his London Road exit.
It was claimed Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United represent the other admirers for the 26-year-old, who has spent three seasons with the Posh.
Certainly Pompey are in the market to strengthen their midfield after the departure of Andre Dozzell, having been linked with Fredrikstad’s Rocco Shein and Hungarian under-21 international Mate Tuboly.
Pompey today returned for full pre-season training at their Copnor Road base, with Mousinho afterwards addressing the local media.
And the head coach has ruled out a switch for Collins, who made 159 appearances for Peterborough after joining from Exeter in June 2023.
He told The News: ‘We’re not signing Archie, there’s nothing in that.
‘I know Archie very well as a player, but that wasn’t something we looked at.’
Although Mousinho prefers not to comment on the potential signing of players attached to clubs, in Collins’ case he is out-of-contract.
In the meantime, Pompey’s head coach is ‘hopeful’ that there will be new signings ahead of departing for the pre-season training camp on Sunday.
Along with Shein, a central midfielder and Estonian international, the Blues are also pursuing Almeria striker Marko Milovanovic.
Mousinho, though, insists Colby Bishop still has a ‘big future’ at Fratton Park, despite reports of Sheffield Wednesday keen to recruit the 29-year-old to fire them back into the Championship.
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