Portsmouth have found ‘ready-made Yengi replacement’ in Leeds star
Portsmouth have a priority job on their hands to ensure Championship safety this season, but must afterwards be ruthless with their squad building process.
Pompey have largely recovered from early teething problems back in the second tier to build an impressive home record at Fratton Park; the away form, mustering just two wins to date, does however leave a lot to be desired.
Some members of the squad have taken to the new level like a duck to water, joining forces with the clutch of Portsmouth players with previous Championship experience.
Others, meanwhile, have struggled either due to injury, loss of form or a combination of both.
Kusini Yengi could leave Fratton Park this summer
Every Portsmouth supporter had high hopes for Yengi ahead of this season, touting him to become the potential main frontman in the absence of Colby Bishop early on.
However, an injury on the eve of August’s season opener against Leeds United set the tone for a frustrating few months in which Yengi would have a mixed bag of fortune for Australia, and a barren spell for Pompey even when he did return to fitness.
Since then, Bishop has reassumed his role as the first-choice number nine and has duly obliged with seven league goals, looking to make it double figures in his debut Championship season before the final day.
Yengi has just sustained another injury while on international duty Down Under, with the Socceroos nor Pompey having not publicly revealed the nature of the problem.
It has summed up a season for the 26-year-old which through not a great deal of fault of his own, has largely gone to waste. He is out of contract this summer and although Portsmouth retain the option of an extra 12 months on the same terms, it could be time for a parting of the ways or even a contract extension followed by a sale.
| Kusini Yengi | Appearances | Goals |
| 2023-24 (League One) | 26 | 9 |
| 2024-25 (Championship)* | 11 | 0 |
Portsmouth should attempt to sign Joe Gelhardt
Portsmouth could do a heck of a lot worse than exploring a deal for 22-year-old Joe Gelhardt, who was linked with a move to Fratton Park ahead of January.
Having barely got a look-in at Leeds United this term – largely down to the presence of Joel Piroe in a one-man attack under Daniel Farke – Gelhardt is currently on loan at Hull City, Pompey’s survival rivals and opponents on the aforementioned last day of the campaign (3 May).
Another issue plaguing Gelhardt at Leeds – and also while on loan at a top-six Sunderland side in 2022-23 – has been his tendencies as a ‘9.5’ player. He is more of a ‘striker’ than, say, Callum Lang; far less of a number nine than Bishop. Finding a specific system to suit him is harder than it may seem.
To play as a second striker, just behind the main frontman, is Gelhardt’s game. He drops deep and drives with the ball; he arrives late into the box, rather than the Bishop-type who would never be found outside the area from any service out wide.
He will certainly attract plenty of interest in the summer which could make Pompey’s task harder, but they should absolutely involve themselves in the race for a player likely to be dispensed with by Leeds, particularly should they become a Premier League club within the next few weeks.