Portsmouth transfer update after reports of move for Aston Villa starlet and international striker
A transfer update on reports linking Pompey with Lorient striker Bamba Dieng and Aston Villa’s Tommi O’Reilly.
Pompey do not have Senegal striker Bamba Dieng on their transfer hit-list - but will look to bolster their striking department this summer.
The Blues are eyeing additions up front with a No9 sought, as they look to strengthen their squad for a third Championship campaign.
The News understands the in-form Lorient front man is not a consideration at present, however, ahead of the summer window opening next month.
And the same goes for Aston Villa’s Tommi O’Reilly, who is another of the early names to have surfaced in connection with a Fratton move.
National reports have put Pompey in the frame with a move for the £1m-rated winger along with Oxford United and Huddersfield Town.
O’Reilly has enjoyed an impressive season in League Two with Crewe Alexandra, returning 18 goal contributions via seven finishes and 11 assists.
But the 22-year-old isn’t viewed as someone who can bolster John Mousinho’s squad for the 2026-27 campaign.
Dieng certainly represented an interesting option, given the 26-year-old’s exploits in Ligue 1 this season.
The 29-year-old had bagged 14 goals for his team - all coming since December across the period of 19 appearances.
That return is said to have alerted the likes of Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers and Oxford United in England, with Pompey’s name also mentioned. German side St Pauli and La Liga outfit Real Betis were other names said to be in the frame.
Dieng’s name is not one whose been mentioned to any great extent in Pompey recruitment circles, however, as targets are whittled down across the pitch.
The Blues will look to bring in a front-line option this summer, however, with the lack of support for Colby Bishop in that area this season a glaring deficiency.
The decision was made not to dedicate a significant portion of a playing budget at the rear of the Championship pack to landing a number nine, with Bishop firmly established a first choice in the 4-2-3-1 formation largely employed by Mousinho.
Pompey’s top scorer for the previous three seasons then endured a loss of form, however, returning just three league goals - a run which shone a light on how the football operation juggled their resources.
That scenario will be remedied in the months ahead, with Mousinho already indicating he expects ‘a lot ‘ of transfer activity.
When asked about the amount of transfer activity set to take place, Mousinho told The News last week: ‘I don’t know yet, but it feels like a lot.
‘That’s absolutely fine because I keep going back to the fact we weren’t necessarily looking to build in January and we were really open about that.
‘That was the strategy. The strategy in January was what are going to spend our money on to keep us in the league?
‘We did sign Madiodio (Dia) on deadline day, he was one who is definitely one for the future.
‘But apart from that we did loans and lads like Ebou (Adams) and Keshi (Anderson), who are lads both over the age of 30 and not necessarily like the players we’ve brought in on permanents previously
‘When you look back at those bits of business when the dust settles and even now, I would make the same decision 100 times out of 100 because they were pivotal in keeping us in the Championship.’