The big Championship transfer opportunity now presented to Portsmouth this summer
The Fratton Premier League favourite and FA Cup winner has given his view on what transfer business could look like at PO4 this summer.
Pompey now have the chance to attract powerful players after establishing themselves in the Championship.
And the Blues have been presented with a ‘good opportunity’ to kick on in the second tier in their third campaign at the level.
FA Cup winner Johnson: ‘Pompey can attract great players’
That’s the view of former Fratton favourite and FA Cup winner Glen Johnson, who believes the door will now be open to his old side bringing in players not available to them over the past couple of campaigns.
Johnson feels John Mousinho’s men have the chance to build on the momentum created at the end of last term, as his former club secured their place in the division with two games to spare.
A huge trio of wins in eight days against Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Leicester City did the job for Pompey, amid a run of a single loss from their final eight games.
Now they have the chance to build on those foundations, with the transfer window opening in nine days.
Eyes will be on what happens across the summer months, with Mousinho clear ‘substantial figures’ will need to be spent if the ambition is for his club to kick on up the league.
And sporting director, Rich Hughes, sees a club who are now ready to vie with half of the clubs in the division for the players they are targeting.
Johnson sees no reason why that shouldn’t mean his old team being upwardly mobile next term.
Speaking to LiveFootballTickets, he said: 'Portsmouth is a fantastic football club with a brilliant fanbase, and I really enjoyed my time there as a player.
'They have now been back in the Championship for a few seasons, and they survived comfortably in the end last season.
'This is a good opportunity for Portsmouth to attract some players and kick on with the momentum they gathered towards the end of last season.
‘They need to bring in a few players who will fight for points week in, week out.
'They need players who will fight for three points they wouldn’t have normally picked up over the past few seasons.
'The Championship is a slog, but a big club like Portsmouth can attract great players.
'A few strategic signings can see them climb the table next season.’
Hughes this week gave an insight into where Pompey are travelling in the Championship spending hierarchy, with their budget at the rear of divisional spending field last season.
He said in a BBC interview: ‘I think it’s tough at the top end (of the Championship) but realistically we know we are not going to be competing for players with these teams that have come down with parachute payments and someone like a Middlesbrough, who lose in the play-off final.
‘We know there’s a lot of money on the table but our job is to make sure we’re competitive with what we do.
‘We’re not going to be going toe-to-toe with those teams that are relegated, but what we are now confident we can do is go toe-to-toe with the teams towards the bottom half of the Championship and sell what we’re trying to do and bring in the right bodies for us moving forward.’