'An absolute bargain' - the Norwich midfielder who 'admirers' Portsmouth might end up regretting never signing
Pompey missed out on Norwich midfielder Pelle Mattsson during the summer. Will they regret not signing another midfielder who is making huge strides at Carrow Road?
In a parallel universe, Paris Maghoma is ripping it up for Pompey in the Championship.
The Blues have held a long-standing interest in the 24-year-old, who first came to prominence during a loan stint at former League One rivals Bolton Wanderers during the 2023-24 tite-winning season.
Back then, the midfielder was a standout performer for the Trotters as they missed out promotion via the play-offs. Contributing eight goals and registering five assists, it was a real coming-of-age season for the Brentford youngster, who soon had Pompey on his list of admirers.
Somehow, despite the Blues’ well-known interest, a move to Fratton Park never materialised for the former Spurs youth-team player, who end up ending his five-year association with the Bees in the January transfer window.
Maghoma signed for Norwich City on a three-and-a-half year deal during the transfer block, with the Canaries forking out a reported £800,00 for the former England under-20 international.
That’s less than what Pompey paid for both Mark Kosznovszky and Luke Le Roux last summer as they looked to rebuild their midfield for their latest season in the second tier.
And the reailty is the Blues might just be kicking themselves that their admiration for the player never came to fruitition as he shines for the Canaries in the Championship.
Maghoma makes things happen
Since making the switch to Carrow Road, Maghoma has featured eight times for Philippe Clement’s side as they continue to put their early-season troubles to one side.
He’s contributed two goals and one assist in that time, after hitting the ground running. And with his impact drawing plenty of attention, the six-figure fee Norwich supposedly paid to lure him away from the Gtech Stadium has been described as ‘an absolute bargain’.
That’s the verdict of former Brighton defender Adam Virgo, who believes Maghoma has proven to be an excitig addition to the Carrow Road ranks.
Speaking in the Football League Paper, he said: ‘Best of the lot is midfielder Paris Maghoma, whose £800,000 move from Brentford looks an absolute bargain.
‘The 24-year-old, a product from the youth system at Spurs, is the sort of player who, when you get the team sheet and he’s not on it, you’re a bit gutted.
‘He’s exciting, he’s inventive. He makes things happen. He’s got a deceptive pace about him and he’s just a very intelligent footballer.’
Pompey’s previous interest in Maghoma
There was no suggestion that Pompey had rivalled Norwich for the signature of Maghoma in January, with the signing of Derby midfielder Ebou Adams for £500,000 their only purchase in that department during the transfer window.
Nevertheless, the former Brentford man is someone they had kept a close eye on in recent years.
Indeed, The News understands a 2025 January transfer window move for the attacking talent was explored.
The Blues were keen on bringing Maghoma in on loan as they looked to bolster their squad for that season’s Championship survival bid.
Conversations are believed to have taken place over the possibility of bringing in the Londoner on a temporary basis. But, at the time, despite Maghoma being on the Bees periphery, they still saw the powerful performer as part of their first-team plans.
Incidentally, since joining Pompey, midfielder Adams has also proven to be ‘an absolute bargain’, with the former Derby man registering two goals and an assist in his 12 games for date for the Blues.
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