Portsmouth boss’ transfer message over ‘premium’ deals happening this summer
One signing is through the door in Odin Bailey, but the wait is continuing as Pompey push for big transfer additions this summer. John Mousinho discusses the dynamics of conducting that business.
John Mousinho believes Pompey will need to hold their nerve as they raise the bar for summer targets.
And that means the Blues potentially needing to be patient over bringing in the ‘premium signings’ they are currently chasing.
Mousinho feels his club are looking to put themselves in a more powerful squad position this summer, as they show greater intent over recruitment.
That’s been seen as Pompey close in on a landmark £2.1m move for Estonia international Rocco Shein, with a deal in place with Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad FK.
Negotiations are continuing with UD Almeria over a £3.5m deal for Serb powerhouse Marko Milovanović, which would usurp Shein as the biggest fee paid for a player at Fratton Park in 17 years.
The likes of midfielders Jesper Ceesay and Mate Tuboly have been mentioned as other possible options, while there appears to be interest in bringing Hull City winger Abu Kamara back to Fratton Park.
At this stage, however, the free transfers capture of Odin Bailey is the only business completed, after he left Stockport County as a free agent.
Mousinho stated his preference for quick business with his players now back in training, but he acknowledged that has to be balanced against getting the additions Pompey believe will allow them to progress in the Championship.
He said: ‘I want signings through the door yesterday.
‘If you ask me my ideal situation it’s to have all my players in for the first day of pre-season training.
‘Then it’s to have all the players we don’t want here out, but it just doesn’t happen that way and it hasn’t happened that way.
‘The World Cup has made this summer a little bit slower for whatever reason.
‘Unfortunately for us, the players we want to sign are sometimes premium signings.
‘There’s a huge amount of competition and work to do and, as a result, you sometimes have to wait.
‘The players are in a good position and they’re not in a rush to do anything. They are happy to wait, so we have to wait as well.
‘There’s that game you have to play between taking what’s available and taking what’s in front of you, versus waiting for the right player and not losing anyone in the meantime.
‘That’s just the art of recruitment and the balancing game - it’s a difficult one to get right.
‘We want to sign players and we want to learn from what we’ve done in the past couple of seasons in the Championship.
‘We want to put ourselves in a strong position.’