Report: Portsmouth in battle with Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford for 'unbelievable' midfielder
Free-agent midfielder has emerged as a reported transfer target for Pompey
Pompey’s search for midfield reinforcements could see them look closer to home for a solution rather than just the European markets they’ve also been exploring recently.
In the past couple of days, the Blues have been linked with a £1.3m move for Hungarian under-21 captain Mate Tuboly, who plays for Slovakia side DAC Dunajská Streda.
Advanced talks had also been held with FC Volendam midfielder Gibson Yah, only for reports to suggest that that deal has now fallen through.
Yet, according to our sister title, The Peterborough Telegraph, Pompey might have another target on their radar.
Archie Collins is a player the Fratton faithful will be well aware of. The 26-year-old is a player the Blues have come up against on countless ocasions in League One during his time at Exeter City and then the Posh.
He even scored against Pompey in that dramatic EFL Cup game against the Grecians in January 2022, with Collins and Co running out losers and exiting the competition thanks to two late goals from Ronan Curtis.
Now he could be handed the chance of experiencing the fantastic support of the Fratton faithful, if reports of Pompey’s interest in the player prove correct.
According to the Telegraph’s Alan Swann, the Blues are one of several clubs who like the midfielder, who is a free agent this summer following his decision to turn down the offer of a new contract at London Road.
After three years with the Posh and 160 apearances, following his ‘big six-figure fee’ move from Exeter in 2022, Collins wants to experience something new.
That has apparently triggered Pompey’s interest, with Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United and Reading also reportedly keen.
Pompey’s need for midfield reinforcements
The Blues are on the lookout for engine room reinforcements this summer.
Andre Dozzell has joined DC United after he turned down a new PO4 deal, leaving Ebou Adams, Marlon Pack and Luke Le Roux as the midfield specialists currently available to head coach John Mousinho.
Of course, Mark Kosznovszky is also on Pompey’s books. However, the Hungarian is not expected to be fit until the end of the year following an ACL injury picked up in December 2025.
With injuries often blighting Pompey’s progress, a potential move for Collins makes sense. Over the past seven seasons the midfielder averages 42.7 league games per season.
Meanwhile, 310 of his 320 league appearances in the EFL have come as starts.
According to Posh boss Luke Williams, Collins is more than capable of stepping up to the Championship.
He said: ‘Archie is unbelievable. Archie really is the guy in the middle of the pitch doing his fair share of attacking, defending, helping to set up play. He is so reliable every day in training and every game. You know what you are going to get from him.
‘The phrase is plug in and play. Every day in training he’ll be great, every meeting he will be attentive and understanding, every game he will play well or very well. This is really a luxury. You’re pretending you’re a good coach when you work with Archie because it’s too easy.
‘If the Championship as a whole is silly enough to not give him an opportunity then it is crazy. Whatever he does, he will join a really ambitious club with a chance of having a very good season.’
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