Portsmouth boss’ midfielder transfer update as window moves towards finale
Pompey’s midfield needed major surgery this summer, but John Mousinho has given a transfer update over recruits in the middle of the park.
John Mousinho has called time on Pompey’s midfield transfer hunt.
The Blues boss feels his squad is now well stocked in the middle of the park and doesn’t require any further surgery this summer.
Pompey boss happy with his transfer lot in midfield
Pompey yesterday landed their sixth new face of the summer, with Spurs winger Yang Min-hyeok arriving for the season.
The South Korea international follows Adrian Segecic, John Swift, Luke Le Roux, Mark Kosznovszky and Florian Bianchini through the door at Fratton so far.
Le Roux, Kosznovszky and Swift bolster Pompey in the middle of the park, which was an area which needed recruitment attention.
That’s after Marlon Pack and Andre Dozzell were left as the main central considerations, with Abdoulaye Kamara out of favour and Reuben Swann still developing.
Loanees Isaac Hayden and Freddie Potts returned to their parent clubs after loan stints, leaving the Blues light centrally.
Swift came in as a versatile operation with Championship experience, with the Gosport lad leaving West Brom this summer.
Then Kosznovszky arrived from Hungarian outfit MTK Budapest last month, with Le Roux joining the same day from Swedish strugglers IFK Varnamo.
That leaves Mousinho with five main considerations centrally, with the Pompey boss looking like to start the season with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
With Terry Devlin a versatile option who can be thrown in the mix, Mousinho is now happy with what he can call upon in midfield next term.
‘We’ve got five competing for two spots in the middle of the park. You can actually make that six when you throw Terry in there, so we’re fine.’
With Pompey bringing in Bianchini and yesterday landing Yang, they now have two of their loan spaces filled with five temporary additions allowed to be named in matchday squads.
There had been a suggestion earlier in the summer, the Blues would look at a midfield loan before their business accelerated.
Mousinho made it clear that’s no longer the case, with slots left open for any options which now pop up and the January window.
He added: ‘No, I don’t think we’re look for a loan. I think we’re fine for bodies in the middle of the park.
‘We’d possibly like to keep a couple of spaces open for January.’