The target Portsmouth have ‘signed’ in January window creating transfer clamour as Coventry City, Stoke City & Co vie for £4.25m ace
Reports emerged earlier this year Pompey had a January deal agreed for the £4.25m ace, reportedly eyed by likes of Burnley, Brighton, Wolves & Co. Here’s what’s happening over a man generating plenty of January transfer column inches.
He’s an in-demand ace who’s surfaced on Pompey’s transfer radar, with attacking areas likely to be under the spotlight in the January window.
And the field in the hunt for Gambian international Abdoulie Manneh is set to be a crowded one in the new year, with the winter window now just 10 days away from opening.
Transfers chase for man eyed by Pompey last summer set to accelerate
Manneh is a player who’s drawn attention in recruitment circles at PO4, with the 21-year-old an option under consideration last summer after making a mark for Swedish side Mjallby.
And there even was a suggestion the Blues have ‘signed’ the eye-catching talent with a deal lined up for the new year, according to a report back in September.
That notion was put to bed by Mousinho who confirmed there has been no pre-contract agreed, though the Pompey boss acknowledged the Tubereng-born man is someone he’s aware of.
It appears if the Blues were keen to rekindle their interest in Manneh next month they will have to dig deep to do so, as the Eisners acknowledge the requirement to strengthen John Mousinho’s squad in their efforts to solidify their Championship status.
A figure of £4.25m was attached to the man who bagged nine goals and three assists, as he helped his side to the Allsvenskan title with the likes of Wolves, Burnley and Brighton said to be among the interested parties.
It was Championship leaders Coventry City who emerged as the strongest contenders to land Manneh’s signature, however, with suggestions of an offer in the region of £4m being made last month.
Stoke City then came into the equation, with reports in Africa they usurped the Sky Blues with a significantly larger bid.
It’s a transfer tale which is continuing to develop all the time, with the latest talk in recent weeks there’s a new Premier League side interested - and Bournemouth a name which has surfaced.
Negotiations with Coventry were said to have been paused as that avenue is explored, though Mjallby restarting talks with Frank Lampard’s is said to remain a possibility.
Manneh a player Pompey boss knows about
Mousinho's position on Manneh was talk of a deal being agreed was erroneous, though the speedy operator is a player he knows about.
When asked about talk of a deal for Manneh, he said: ‘There’s nothing in that at all - and we’ve definitely not signed him.
‘I’ve heard of him but we’ve not had any conversations about him, whatsoever.
‘There’s no pre-contract so that is something you can dismiss, since the back end of the window we’ve not done anything at all.’
It certainly looks as it Pompey would have to spend way beyond the levels they’re currently operating at to land Manneh, given the level of interest and figures mentioned around the player.
Signings were made in the region of £1m last summer, as the likes of Luke Le Roux, Josh Knight and Mark Kosznovszky were landed.
Hayden Matthews was brought in from Sydney FC for £1.27m in January - the biggest fee paid by Pompey for a player since Erik Huseklepp was signed for £1.5m from Bari in 2011.