Boss answers big question on why Portsmouth didn’t splash cash in January transfer window
John Mousinho is adamant money was available to spend for the right additions in the January transfer window.
And the Blues boss has revealed the reasons for the club opting not to significantly loosen the purse strings, in a critical period for their Championship survival hopes.
Mousinho has stated Pompey were not priced out for January targets, despite some of their prime options not moving to PO4.
Seven new faces arrived last month with four loanees coming in and a loan fee paid for Paraguayan Gustavo Caballero. Additionally, Keshi Anderson joined as a free agent, with transfer fees for Ebou Adams and Madiodio Dia.
The likes of Dundee defender Luke Graham and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson were also chased at the window’s climax, but agreements weren’t concluded.
Pompey decided there was a point where both deals didn’t represent value and, even with their place in the Championship at stake, Mousinho sees such an approach as the right course of action.
He said: ‘We had money available and we spent what we wanted to spend on the targets we had. We brought players in on loans and some had loan fees and options.
‘We essentially had money to spend, if we found players we wanted to spend that money on. That’s not always possible, but what we don’t want to do is spend money for the sake of it in January.
‘The remit was spend the money that’s there if we can get the players we can get, players who can affect us over the next few months.
‘If there wasn’t we’d then maybe be a bit more short-term and take the players like Ebou (Adams), for a half-decent transfer fee, who is ready for the Championship now. Then we can look at what the situation is in the summer.’
Transfer spending and Pompey’s playing budget continue to be a topic of conversation, especially in a period where the £500,000 paid to Derby for Adams and Dia’s late, late arrival were the only fees for permanent arrivals.
Mousinho was adamant, however, there was never a scenario where the Blues were priced out for those they had in their sights.
He added: ‘We never got into any situation in a transfer where the other club came back and we thought we can’t afford that, or it’s too much for us.
‘What happened was the valuation of the other club got far too high for what we felt was good value.
‘Whether you’re the richest or poorest club in the world, you have to do the right thing at the right time, otherwise you’re in trouble as a football club and squad. It then has knock-on implications for the rest of the window and the summer.
‘Like with Callum Lang, we value the player at a certain level and we think it’s the right thing to do.
‘It’s the same with incomings. If we value a player at a certain level, we are more than willing to put the bid in and will spend the money.
‘But as soon as the valuation becomes too much, and it became far too high in a couple of cases, it’s time to move on.’