John Mousinho will know Portsmouth transfer ‘priority’ already after what he saw
Portsmouth are continuing their fight against relegation back to League One having secured a late draw against Derby County on Saturday.
The South Coast side sit 19th in the Championship table, four points clear of the drop zone with four games left to play.
Rob Atkinson was the man of the moment upon his return from injury as he scored twice for Pompey, one of which was a late goal to cancel out his own goal and earn his side a point.
Mousinho has clear priority at Portsmouth
Portsmouth won’t want to get ahead of themselves as they continue the fight against relegation, but one thing about next season is sure: Pompey will have a battle on their hands.
Should the worst happen, Mousinho will be eager to take his side straight back up to the second tier as they try and progress at Fratton Park
Meanwhile, should the Blues survive, then all attention will be on pushing on and having a stronger season.
With that in mind, the boss will need the strongest players available to him and despite having made just 10 Championship appearances this season, Atkinson has proven that he has what it takes to be a key component.
However, at the end of the season, Atkinson will return to Ashton Gate to rejoin his parent club, Bristol City, having only come to Fratton Park on a temporary deal until the end of the campaign.
That being said, his contract there runs out in 2026, meaning if the Robins were keen to cash in, now would be the time, with Pompey being a potentially interested party.
Portsmouth have to stay calm
Portsmouth coming back into the game to take a point against Derby, rather than losing, shows the character that Mousinho’s men have, and they will not go down to League One without a fight.
Atkinson proved a core man in his role and has already etched his name in history at Fratton Park with his performance, but now the South Coast club need to secure him long-term.
The boss won’t be prepared to put too much emphasis on the future and rather, the focus will be on the here and now but Pompey must be ready to go in the summer and secure exactly what they want.
| Portsmouth’s remaining games |
| Norwich City (A) |
| Watford (H) |
| Sheffield Wednesday (A) |
| Hull City (H) |
With four games left and things incredibly tight at the bottom of the table, things can still go in any direction, but a final game of the season at Fratton Park could be massive.
Whatever the fate, Portsmouth need to be ready to get started right away, working on next season.