Portsmouth boss drops hint over level of spending and transfer window strategy in critical period for Championship hopes
The January transfer window is of monumental importance to Pompey. John Mousinho today discusses the key issues of strategy, loans and the level of spending this month.
John Mousinho anticipates an emphasis on the loan market in a critical period for Pompey’s Championship aspirations.
But the Blues boss is refusing to shut the door on his club pushing on from the levels of spending seen at Fratton Park in recent transfer windows, this month.
Pompey boss on January window: ‘More movement in terms of loans’
It’s clearly a monumental time for ambitions of remaining in the second tier, with the squad in need of significant strengthening. That’s with a swathe of injuries being dealt with at present, and obvious improvements required to the group in terms of depth and quality.
Mousinho has made it apparent the focus has to once again be on the here and now, bringing in players who can immediately impact the fight for survival over long-term projects.
The Pompey boss feels that may come in the shape of temporary additions, over paying fees for permanent signings.
That’s something which the football operation did effectively a year ago, particularly in the case of Rob Atkinson, with Isaac Hayden, Adil Aouchiche and Kaide Gordon also landed on loan.
With Minhyeok Yang joining Coventry City after being recalled by Spurs, Pompey have Ipswich’s Conor Chaplin and Swansea City’s Florian Bianchini as their current loanees. There’s no limit on the amount of loan signings you can have, though no more than five can be named in a matchday squad.
In terms of spending, Pompey paid £1.27m for Hayden Matthews last January, the most they’ve paid for a player since signing Erik Huseklepp for £1.5m in 2011.
Pushing on from that level was anticipated but didn’t prove the case, with the likes of Josh Knight, Luke Le Roux and Mark Kosznovszky signed for around £1m each last summer.
When asked if raising the bar from those fees this month was likely, Mousinho said: ‘It’s an interesting window on that, because there’s very different opportunities in January to the summer.
‘There’s a lot more movement in terms of loans, ones which maybe haven’t worked out at certain clubs and players who’ve stayed at clubs and are now available in January.
‘There’s not the same level of spending with the bigger fees, there’s a number of reasons incoming and outgoing clubs don’t want to do that.
Mousinho responds to question over increased spending on fees
‘There’s no change in terms of what we necessarily need do as a football club, but the priority for us is to make sure we’re strong enough to try to stay in the league.
‘If that means we need to be a bit more short-term and not focus on the longer-term signings and development signings, that’s fine for the football club.
‘There’s always the possibility of that (pushing on from the fees spent in the last year), it just depends on who’s available.
‘What we don’t want to do if waste the club’s money.
‘You have to be pretty wise in January, because there isn’t that time where things will play out a bit more naturally.
‘The clubs holding those types of players will be more inclined to hold on for an extra two weeks, it’s not like what they have to do in the summer window when it’s two or three months. They’re more difficult deals to do.’