A January transfer window to make or break Portsmouth's Championship future: What must be done
The approaching January transfer window will dictate what division Pompey will feature in next season
Next month represents a pivotal time in the Fratton Park careers of John Mousinho and Rich Hughes as they battle to keep Pompey in the Championship.
Stranded in the relegation zone following seven defeats in the last nine matches, plus being joint-lowest scorers in the league, and it is not unreasonable to be hugely concerned about the second half of the campaign.
The January window undoubtedly has the potential to save Pompey’s season and secure their Championship status - and there are nine huge issues which need to be addressed...
1) Existing loan players
Conor Chaplin, Florian Bianchini and Minhyeok Yang have all struggled to establish themselves as effective starting choices in John Mousinho’s side, which defeats the objective of the three loans being at Fratton Park.
Chaplin is a proven talent who is now operating as the 10 and has steadily improved after a sluggish start, although, crucially, he has still to score or assist as he drowns in Pompey’s mediocrity as a team.
With Ipswich media previously reporting there is a recall option, it will be fascinating to see whether that is activated from their end.
Bianchini has endured a terrible time. Although he possesses good work-rate and commitment, there is absolutely no end product and surely, if the opportunity arose to return him to Swansea in January, Pompey would jump at the chance.
Yang has enjoyed some decent moments, but they all arrived in October - and while serving on the left wing. That seems a long time ago now, but he’s still worth keeping around.
My Verdict: Florian Bianchi needs to return to Swansea (if the loan arrangement allows).
2) Connor Ogilvie and Jacob Farrell
According to Rich Hughes late last month, Connor Ogilvie is pencilled in for a January return from the ankle issue which has sidelined him for the last five weeks.
Meanwhile, as of this week, Jacob Farrell has still to make his training comeback, with an ongoing groin problem the latest frustration in a Pompey stay devastated by injury.
Zak Swanson and Jordan Williams have been deputising at left-back in the meantime, but purely a short-term solution. Incidentally, Swanson hobbled off with a back issue at Swansea on Tuesday night.
Pompey must decide whether to gamble on Connor Ogilvie returning from injury and finishing the second half of the campaign with no further set-backs. However, considering Farrell’s dreadful injury record, questions must be raised whether he can be relied on to serve as a back-up or even provide realistic competition.
As with Cohen Bramall last January, they may decide to strengthen that position. Although back then Farrell had been ruled out for the season following knee surgery, so the situation was far more clear.
My View: One left-back needs to be signed.
3) Striker
Pompey had banked on Colby Bishop, last season’s 11-goal top scorer, avoiding injury this season and remaining as their first-choice striker.
As it turned out, while he remains fit, the 28-year-old is suffering from a huge slump in form, with no goal in 16 matches, and now currently on the bench.
As a consequence, signing an experienced, first-choice centre-forward is absolutely vital during the January transfer window.
Makenzie Kirk is a 21-year-old from the Scottish Championship and a player for the future. The other alternative is 20-year-old Australian Thomas Waddingham, who remains sidelined with his latest injury and nowhere near a training return.
No kids, no players for the future, no gambles - a new striker is pivotal to keeping Pompey in the Championship.
My View: One experienced striker needed.
4) Replacing Freddie Potts
While Freddie Potts was always going to return to West Ham, it is hugely frustrating that Pompey still haven’t replaced him this season.
Mark Kosznovszky is not a central midfielder in Mousinho’s favoured system, Luke Le Roux is, but purely in a defensive role, while John Swift is also struggling for an identity in Mousinho’s formation.
It means Marlon Pack, who last season started just one match in midfield after October 22, is now back as a first-team regular.
Admittedly, during that time, he stood in as an emergency centre-half to help the team. Yet, when not fulfilling that role, Potts, Andre Dozzell and Isaac Hayden were preferred in midfield.
In fairness to Dozzell, he has comfortably been one of the better performers this season, but that area is still extremely light in terms of numbers and options.
My View: Two central midfielders needed.
5) The 25-man Football League squad
Once the January window opens, the Blues have a full month to reappraise the situation until it closes again on Monday, February 2. At which point, a new 25-man squad list is submitted.
With Mousinho talking about bringing in up to six players, those who don’t qualify as under-21 players must be moved out to create the space. That may be through ending loans early or loaning/selling players.
The alternative, as witnessed before with Tom Lowery and Ben Stevenson, is not registering players, thereby rendering them unable to play in the second half of the campaign, yet continuing to fulfil wage obligations. It present, Jordan Archer fills that category.
My View: This has the potential to be a huge headache.
6) Right wing
It’s damning that Harvey Blair, a player who struggled to get minutes last season apart from when Pompey were safe from relegation, is now viewed as a potential difference maker upon his return.
He has featured for just 63 minutes in an injury-wrecked season, making his latest comeback off the bench at Swansea, while has just 16 career first-team games in senior football.
Minhyeok Yang is an option, so too is supposedly Florian Bianchini, but he has hugely struggled overall. Perhaps Franco Umeh can play there when available following his long-term hamstring issue.
Of course, Callum Lang is a contender, as is Adrian Segecic. Regardless, Matt Ritchie’s quality - on and off the ball - has never been replaced in the transfer market.
My view: One right-winger needed.
7) Josh Murphy
Pompey’s best player and simply irreplaceable, even when off his game, as we are seeing at present. Regardless, he’s consistently the most dangerous attacking performer.
You can forever argue whether enquiries or bids were made late in the summer transfer window, yet what cannot be disputed is there were admirers higher up the Championship table and no doubt Murphy would have reflected on that interest.
The Blues, to their credit, rejected all advances, subsequently tying Murphy to a new Fratton Park deal, yet, should interest re-emerge next month, it will be interesting how that is handled.
Certainly Murphy is a Championship performer, he has even talked about returning to the Premier League before his career is over. Yet Pompey are currently in the relegation zone.
My View: Keep at all costs.
8) Centre-half
Pompey have five central defenders on their books - and how they’ve needed them yet again this season, with injuries impacting.
Conor Shaughnessy remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and Regan Poole is presently out with an ankle issue. Ibane Bowat is fit, but still feeling his way back after 12 months on the sidelines.
Hayden Matthews has been available all season, yet has still to reach the encouraging levels demonstrated upon his arrival in January 2025 before injury cruelly intervened.
Josh Knight was recruited for £1m in the last transfer window, yet has performed erratically. On occasions he has shown himself to be the dominant, physical centre-half required, but not enough, which is even more frustrating.
Certainly the Shaughnessy/Poole partnership were hugely impressive at the start of the season before injury intervened. How Pompey need a Rob Atkinson to deputise/compete with that pair.
My View: One centre-half needed.