Saudi powerbroker in talks over ‘shock’ deal with Portsmouth’s Championship rivals
Portsmouth could be set to face a sizable threat in the Championship as Saudi Arabian interest emerges elsewhere.
Pompey earned their place in the second tier for another season after avoiding a relegation battle with time to spare at Fratton Park.
This is likely to see John Mousinho have a busy summer of incoming and outgoing deals as he looks to prepare his squad for a second year since promotion from League One.
Things may be set to become more difficult for the English head coach as talks with a Saudi investor look set to kick off in the Championship.
Portsmouth learn Saudi interest in rival deal
There is no doubt that the PO4 club will have hopes of rising further up the table next season after achieving survival.
A battle to be in and around the play-off spots could be in Mousinho’s mind ahead of the summer, especially after such a large battle for a top-six finish this year.
| Position | Club | Goal difference | Points |
| 15. | QPR | -10 | 56 |
| 16. | Portsmouth | -13 | 54 |
| 17. | Oxford United | -16 | 53 |
The likes of Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and West Brom all missed out despite their quality throughout the last 12 months.
With that being said, Pompey will want to be the new kid on the block to come in and fight for the chance to play in the play-offs moving forward.
That could be set to face a knock moving forward after the Mail Online reported on 23 May that Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh has held “shock” talks with Millwall over a potential investment.
The 43-year-old is the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority and is looking for a way into English football after already making a splash in the boxing world.
The Lions have emerged as a target with a dialogue kicking off after Alex Neil’s side secured an eighth-place finish in the second tier.
Millwall could be set for huge investment boost
There has been a steady rise at Pompey since the introduction of Mousinho from League One to the Championship.
That has been down in part to the addition of the likes of star names like Josh Murphy and Freddie Potts, who have had a telling impact this campaign.
With that being said, a large-scale investment wouldn’t go amiss, but that looks likely to go the way of Millwall, if it does at all.
This sort of monetary boost has worked extremely well with the likes of Birmingham City and Wrexham, and could be replicated at The Den.
It is fair to say that this could represent a blow for Portsmouth and their hopes of rising up the league, but as it stands, no deal has yet gone through.