Portsmouth fans react to club’s new transfer strategy – ‘It’s a gamble’
Portsmouth are set to bolster their squad in the summer after an impressive first season back in the Championship.
Pompey defied the odds and finished 16th on their return to the Championship, five points clear of the drop zone.
John Mousinho’s side managed to overcome a difficult start to their campaign. The South Coast club were winless in their first nine league games, but they eventually turned things around to avoid the drop.
The next step is to truly establish themselves as a Championship outfit. However, with notable loan signings such as Freddie Potts and Rob Atkinson returning to their parent clubs, this will not be an easy task.
Portsmouth to focus on overseas recruitment this summer
Pompey are set to put a focus on signing players from abroad when conducting their transfer business.
The club’s chief executive, Andy Cullen, confirmed this to The News (25 May).
Portsmouth’s hierarchy feels there is greater value in the market doing business this way.
“We’ve had some really good success in bringing over players from Australia, which is a really good market to look into at the moment.” Cullen said.
“We’ve also had some success going into Austria last year with Nico (Schmid) and bringing him across.
“We’ve gone elsewhere last year as well, with varying degrees of success.”
Cullen continued: “I think there’s an ambition for a lot of players at a certain level, the young emerging talent which still remains a core area of focus.”
There was plenty of reaction to this news from Portsmouth supporters, with varying opinions.
Some felt this approach is necessary due to the club’s lower budget, whilst others see it as an extremely risky strategy that could easily backfire.
Reinforcements needed for Mousinho
If the English manager is to repeat the success of last season, then bringing fresh faces to Fratton Park will be crucial.
Mousinho recently revealed in an interview that he feels the six players the club signed on loan last season need replacing as they return to their respective former clubs.
Next season’s Championship looks set to be an incredibly competitive one on paper.
The three relegated sides in Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton will all have money to spend as a result of receiving parachute payments. This is nothing out of the blue.
However, the promotion of Wrexham and Birmingham from League 1 are interesting additions to the Championship.
Both clubs are backed by wealthy owners, meaning the likes of Portsmouth may find it harder to stay up in their second season as opposed to their first.
Another reason why recruitment on the South Coast is vital this summer.