Mousinho ‘can repeat Portsmouth transfer trick’ after player’s latest comments
John Mousinho’s priority at Portsmouth has always been to secure Championship survival this season.
A 1-0 victory against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (29 March) saw Pompey take another step closer to their aims.
However, as the end of the season edges closer, the manager will also be keen to start putting summer transfer plans in place.
Mousinho has decision to make
Plenty of Portsmouth’s transfer decisions could come down to which league the South Coast side find themselves in next season.
Although they were victorious against Blackburn, Mousinho’s side are still just seven points clear of relegation meaning there’s plenty of work to be done.
However, the boss will also be looking ahead to the end of the season, with decisions to be made over the future of certain players.
One man who is out of contract is Zak Swanson, who also saw his deal expire last season before Pompey chose to extend it.
The ball lies in the Fratton Park outfit’s court, too, as they hold an option to extend it again this term.
Swanson himself may have shown his boss all he needs to as he told The News (30 March): “I don’t know about my future here, we’ll have to wait and see, but staying in this league and winning games is the big focus for me.
“I would like to stay. I believe in the gaffer, I love the fans here, it has been a really good season for me personally and we’ll just have to see what happens.”
Mousinho can extend Swanson deal again
After keeping Swanson at Fratton Park last season, the right-back has gone on to make 28 Championship appearances this term, contributing a goal and assist along the way.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 28 | 1 | 1 |
Although Portsmouth are yet to discover what league they will face off in next season, having someone who has played in the side regularly and clearly buys into the manager’s ethos has to be a big boost.
Mousinho will undoubtedly be keen on bringing in fresh blood during the summer window, which is understandable but he will have to recruit players from inside the camp to deliver too.
Extending Swanson’s deal last season ended up paying off for Mousinho, who has got a regular player out of him this term and at 24 years old, it’s a decision that has to be worth repeating.
For now, the focus at Fratton Park has to remain on picking up a maximum amount of points between now and the end of the season to secure safety in the second tier.
However, as the summer approaches, Mousinho will have to start making some calls and keeping Swanson on the books could be a simple call to make.