Portsmouth boss sets record straight over Leicester City's late transfer window interest in Josh Murphy
The left winger has scored seven goals in 46 appearances since arriving at Fratton Park in the summer of 2024
John Mousinho admits he was ‘concerned’ Josh Murphy could be facing Pompey in Leicester colours this weekend.
But the Blues head coach is adamant there was no bid and no contact from the East Midlands club during those tense final days of the summer transfer window.
Pompey head to the King Power Stadium on Saturday (7.45pm) ironically without the winger who was strongly linked with a switch there at the start of last month.
Murphy continues to be sidelined by the ankle injury which has forced him to miss the last four matches - although a long-awaited return against Stoke is now pencilled in.
It was undoubtedly a nervy time for the Fratton faithful in the dying days of the transfer window when Murphy was reportedly the subject of a £2m bid from the Foxes.
Yet the reigning The News/Sports Mail’s Player of the Season remained - and instead signed a new deal until the summer of 2028.
‘Thankfully we got through that period’
Mousinho told The News: ‘It was nothing we had heard at all, we didn’t have any contact from Leicester and there was no bid which came in for Josh either.
‘As far as we are concerned, he may have popped up on their list, but there was nothing from our standpoint.
‘You are always concerned with potentially losing players in a window and, when you look at some of the bigger clubs which show interest in certain players, it can be very difficult to stop them from going. Thankfully, we got through that period and Josh has signed his new contract since then.
‘I suppose it’s a compliment all round if clubs are looking at any of our players. We are, at some point, going to sell players to kick-start that player-trading model. It just didn’t really feel at the time like it was a decision we wanted to make, certainly without anyone in the pipeline to replace Josh.
‘As deadline day ticked down, we were very open in terms of the conversations we had with Josh and his agent about potentials in terms of the movement. We felt pretty confident (he would stay) as the days ticked past.’
Chief executive and sporting director admit Leicester interest
Although both did admit there was interest from Saturday’s Championship opponents, who are presently third in the table having drawn four of their last five fixtures.
Regardless, Mousinho insists he was never under any pressure from owners Tornante to sell his star winger during that transfer window.
That was reflected by Murphy being handed a new contract earlier this month, with two years still to run on his original deal.
Mousinho added: ‘At the minute, we are really trying to build an established Championship club before we can actually go and look at what we are doing elsewhere and maybe look at making a profit on a couple of players.
‘There is absolutely no pressure on us from the board to do that, so it’s a good position to be in.’