Portsmouth boss delivers latest on defender transfer hunt after missing out on Stoke City new boy
Pompey strongly pursued Luke Graham before his move to Stoke City, but the centre-back transfer picture is evolving. Here’s the Blues head coach with the latest.
John Mousinho is considering calling off Pompey’s centre-back hunt this summer.
But the Blues boss explained he will keep a watching brief on his options in that department, before definitively deciding whether to recruit there in this window.
Mousinho on a new centre-back: ‘Other areas we want to prioritise’
Mousinho has been pleased with the level he’s centre-halves have operated in pre-season, while significantly they begin the campaign available for selection.
That’s the case with Regan Poole, Conor Shaughnessy, Hayden Matthews, Madiodio Dia and Josh Knight all considerations for the Carabao Cup trip to West Ham.
When asked if Pompey are looking for a centre-back, Mousinho said: ‘At the moment no, we’ve got other areas of the squad we want to prioritise.
‘We’ll monitor it from an injury standpoint more than anything else.
‘We like the centre-back unit we have in the building, we’ll see what that looks like as the season goes on.
‘I think the big concern for me going into the summer was if you looked at that unit as a whole, Madiodio you can take out of that because he’s played four games at the level, it was Regan who had a consistent season.
‘Apart from that, the centre-backs either had really significant injuries, or niggly injuries which kept them out for a long period. So that is why I think we need to monitor that department.
‘It’s not from a talent standpoint or having the ability to play, it’s making sure we’re strong enough to sustain the season.
‘The example I can give is when we played the derby in January we had one recognised centre-back on the pitch and finished with four full-backs across the back line. We had quite a few centre-backs in the building, but none to choose from.
‘So the answer I’ve got at the moment is they’ve all been fit. They’ve maintained their fitness through pre-season and they’ve come back at really good levels.’
Pompey strongly pursued Dundee defender Luke Graham, before Stoke City eventually captured the Scot’s signature. That was a setback, but one potentially offset by what Mousinho has seen from his centre-backs in the building.
Mousinho added: ‘I’ve been pleased with the level they’re at, hence why we haven’t been desperate to go and get a centre-back.’