League One side target move for Brighton striker after frustrating Portsmouth loan spell
Mark O’Mahony spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Pompey from Brighton.
Leyton Orient are reportedly eyeing a move for Brighton striker Mark O’Mahony following his Pompey loan stint.
Transfer correspondent Alan Nixon has suggested the O’s are showing an interest in the 20-year-old as Richie Wellens bids to fill the void left by departing forward Charlie Kelman.
The article claims the Brisbane Road outfit are exploring a loan deal for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international and have made him a top target in the window.
Orient have already lost duo Kelman and Jamie Donley, who netted 21 goals and eight goals respectively in League One last term.
The pair’s season-long stints came to a close at the end of the season and have since returned to QPR and Spurs respectively.
Wellens’ men fell just short of reaching the Championship after losing 1-0 to Charlton Athletic in the League One play off final at Wembley last month.
Now, as they eye another promotion challenge, Orient are targeting O’Mahony as he looks to move on from his Fratton Park frustrations.
Mark O’Mahony’s challenge Pompey loan stay
Arriving at PO4 in August, the Irish striker’s stock was on the rise after netting his first senior goal for Brighton in a Carabao Cup triumph over Crawley just 24 hours prior to his Pompey move.
But injuries would affect his time with the Blues, first picking up a bruised toe while on international duty in September before being ruled out for two-and-a-half months due to a side strain sustained against Swansea in November.
Although he scored against Oxford United on his return, the frontman made just four appearances following his return from the sidelines in February.
O’Mahony netted three goals in 13 outings during his season-long loan stay at Fratton Park, havint consistently found himself behind Colby Bishop in attack.
John Mousinho on Mark O’Mahony’s Pompey stint
Although John Mousinho admitted the striker’s stay didn’t hit the heights many expected, the Blues boss believed his spell was hugely successful in the development of his career.
The head coach told The News in May: ‘When you strip everything back for Mark, it has been an incredibly successful loan for him personally.
‘He’s had the highs of coming in and scoring against Oxford, against Stoke, at Oxford again. The highs of starting games at Championship level and performing really well.
‘Then he’s had the lows of picking up the injury against Swansea and another away on international duty. He’s probably had the lows of not being in the squad towards the back end of the season as well, not quite hitting the levels that he’d hit earlier in the year.
‘As a first loan he’s had everything and that’s really important. He has made a contribution to us staying in the league, a big contribution, he’s started plenty of games, he’s come off the bench in plenty of games, he absolutely would have wanted to have played more.
‘I think he has gone back to Brighton a much better player, so it has been a really successful loan for him.
‘A first loan can be incredibly difficult. The environment players come out of at Premier League 2 level is very, very different to what they are faced with in the Championship - and there's nothing you can really do to try to replicate that.
‘To make that adjustment is big and first loans often fall flat on their face, some players are sent back in January, but Mark definitely wasn’t one of those.’
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