The ‘big priority’ over Colby Bishop with Marko Milovanović set to join Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday eyeing striker
A Hillsborough move is reportedly in the offing but John Mousinho has outlined his plans for Colby Bishop, with a deal agreed for UD Almeria striker Marko Milovanović.
Getting Colby Bishop back to his best is the major focus for Pompey amid transfer interest in their striker.
And Blues boss John Mousinho is adamant he still wants to work with his No9, despite a huge €6m deal reportedly being agreed for Marko Milovanović.
Mousinho’s Bishop outlook as Pompey pursue Milovanović
Sheffield Wednesday are eyeing the top scorer in three of the past four seasons, with Bishop’s future currently under the microscope.
Last term proved a tough Championship campaign for the 29-year-old, off the back of topping the Fratton goals charts three terms on the bounce.
Bishop broke the 20-goal barrier in successive League One seasons, before bagging 11 Championship finishes after returning from heart surgery two years ago. It was just four efforts last time out for the £500,000 signing, however, and just two from open play in the league.
Now reports in Yorkshire suggest Bishop is wanted at Hillsborough, though Mousinho stated that noise hasn’t developed into firm interest in his player.
The Pompey boss is adamant the League One title winner is wanted at PO4, though there’s still plenty of distance to travel until the close of the transfer window on September 1.
Some big money is being spent on the striker department with Serb powerhouse Milovanović wanted, with that news naturally raising question’s over Bishop’s position.
But Mousinho stated his stance on the player is to see him consistently performing at his best moving forward.
He said: ‘There’s been nothing said (about Bishop’s future).
‘That’s the big priority (to get him back to his best). He scored 11 goals in half a season in the Championship, off the back of heart surgery.
‘There were glimpses last season of him getting back to his best, but maybe not the goal return.
‘I thought he got back to his best at the end of the season, in terms of being a dominant centre-forward and causing centre-halves problems.
‘Obviously when goals aren’t scored there’s going to be questions asked, but I’ve never been bothered about that. It’s about his all-round game.
‘At times he was really good last year, at times he dropped off from where Colby stands - so it’s about getting back to that.
‘I’ve had a brilliant three-and-a-half years with Colby, he’s been a brilliant player. I’d like to work with him for many more years.
‘There’s nothing you can do about speculation around a footballer, but that (Bishop leaving) is nothing that’s on my radar.
‘The big thing for Colby is to get back to those levels we know he capable of getting back to.
‘Even when, by his own admission, Colby wasn’t playing as well as he wanted to or could’ve done, he still started pretty much every game. He was a massive part of everything which happened at the back end of the season.’