View: Portsmouth must turn away from Tino Anjorin return amid glaring issue with Chelsea man
Portsmouth should not be looking for Tino Anjorin to return to Fratton Park if the club are able to find a proven Championship midfielder with a reliable fitness record.
John Mousinho said the club are potentially exploring a second loan deal for the young Chelsea midfielder, who missed five months of the recent title-winning season in League One after tearing his hamstring.
Anjorin played 15 Championship matches whilst on loan at Huddersfield Town in the past two seasons, but has found injury concerns to be a real issue despite his obvious talent.
There is unsurprising interest in the player given his performances and eye for goal when he has been fit, namely from Dutch outfit FC Volendam.
The 22-year-old has already experienced playing abroad, having spent a brief spell with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2021-22.
Portsmouth would be taking a risk with Tino Anjorin
Make no mistake that first and foremost, Anjorin is an excellent midfield player who offers a great deal going forward, and if he didn’t have his heartbreaking long-term injury then this would be a non-debate.
His 83-per-cent pass-accuracy return was bettered by only five others in the Pompey squad [WhoScored], while he also ranked highly for shorts per game (0.9).
Anjorin’s 0.9 dribbled per game, meanwhile, was topped by only three other players – Joel Morrell (1.2), Tom Lowery (1.2) and Owen Moxon (1.6).
If the youngster had enjoyed a fully fit season, the interest in him would be rife from various clubs in the top two divisions to take him from Stamford Bridge on either a loan deal or permanent contract.
But we’ve seen how ruthless Mousinho has been already in the club’s release of 10 title-winning first-team players. It’s clear he is still pursuing Anjorin, but may decide to end interest if other experienced Championship midfielders become available as the window rolls on.
Anjorin worked remarkably hard to return before the end of the season, which would have no doubt impressed his manager – and doubtless the supporters – but the recruitment team may look elsewhere in their hunt for squad depth of players with a relatively clean injury record.
In other Portsmouth news, Don Goodman has shared his verdict on Pompey’s retained list.
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