Portsmouth set to ‘green-light Kusini Yengi exit’ – Exclusive
Kusini Yengi had high hopes on his shoulders at the start of this season, but through little fault of his own has had to endure a difficult campaign at Portsmouth.
The 26-year-old striker has been unable to gather a run of games together that surely would have eventually yielded a handful of goals, and when he has played, he has appeared rusty and a yard off the pace.
Yengi didn’t entirely help himself when he attempted to claim the Championship was only a marginal step up – if any – from the level he had performed at in League One last season, but he now sees his Fratton future up in the air.
Yengi ‘expected to leave’ Portsmouth
Yengi is out of contract at Portsmouth this summer, and may look to move on in search of regular game time should the Blues remain in the Championship this season.
Pompey do hold an option on Yengi for an additional year on the same terms, and John Mousinho clearly sees something in his ability, but he may be a player whose wages the Blues clear from the books in a bid to bolster the squad in the transfer window.
TV commentator and Blues fan Ian Darke has had his say, describing Yengi as a “non-runner” in 2024-25 and admitting he would not be shocked to see the frontman move on.
“It’s not really been his fault, but he’s been a non-runner and essentially had to be forgotten by Pompey fans as they focus on staying stay up, without being unkind to him,” Darke exclusively told Pompey News.
“If he’s out of contract, they may want to go in another direction. Last season, Yengi had a couple of big games against Bolton and Peterborough, but other than that he lacks a little bit of craft.
“Is he ever going to be preferred to Bishop in the system Mousinho plays? Probably not. It wouldn’t be a sensation for me if he was allowed to move on in the summer. It’s slender evidence from this season, but he just hasn’t been able to get going.”
Mousinho and Rich Hughes to reassess striker options
Portsmouth will certainly run the rule over how they plan their forward options to look in time for next season, with Rich Hughes leading on recruitment and squad contracts.
Bishop loves life in blue and will stay at Fratton Park, almost certainly retaining his place as the priority number nine, in a one-man attack under Mousinho in the Championship.
If Yengi is kept around, he will have to settle as a backup option which may not be beneficial for his domestic nor international prospects at this stage of his career.
| Portsmouth – top goalscorers 2024-25 | Goals |
| Callum Lang | 10 |
| Josh Murphy | 7 |
| Colby Bishop | 7 |
| Connor Ogilvie | 4 |
| Matt Ritchie | 4 |
Mark O’Mahony has suffered with injuries and a lack of game time but has shown the occasional promise and three goals – however, parent club Brighton & Hove Albion would now prefer to loan him elsewhere.
Christian Saydee has been a fringe player this season, and Thomas Waddingham is receiving a few cameos with a view to more game time as his contract progresses.