‘Mousinho has an ideal Freddie Potts replacement in Preston ace’
Portsmouth will be looking to fill the gap left by departing midfielder Freddie Potts this summer.
The 21-year-old arrived at Fratton Park on loan from West Ham on a season-long loan and made the centre-midfield position his own after a string of all-action performances.
Potts’ loan has now ended, and although John Mousinho would love to have him back at Pompey, the early signs suggest he’ll be fighting to break into the Hammers’ first team next season.
A lot of work is being done behind the scenes to replace Potts, and I believe there’s a player available who’s tailor-made for the job.
Preston ace is tailor-made to fill gap left by Potts
There have been a handful of exciting midfielders linked with a move to Fratton Park, including Peterborough’s Hector Kyprianou and highly-rated Crystal Palace teenager Hindolo Mustapha.
However, there’s no guarantee that either of these can do the business at Championship level.
My pick to fill the gap left by Potts is an experienced head who has been a consistent performer for Preston season after season. That man is Ryan Ledson.
Experienced leaders are key to Pompey establishing themselves in Championship
It’s exciting to be linked with exciting young stars who could turn out to be world-beaters. Abdoulie Manneh is another name linked with the Blues who fits this description.
However, these types of players can also turn out to be flops who can’t cope with the demands of the Championship. Pompey don’t have the funds to waste on unproven talents.
Mousinho proved he’s got an eye for a rising talent with the capture of Potts, but loaning youngsters from the Premier League can be a gamble too.
Meanwhile, Ledson has made 215 appearances for Preston since signing in 2018, but he’ll be a free agent once his contract expires at the end of June.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 32 | 1709 | 3 | 1 |
He’s not an exciting name, but he’s a proven success at this level. At 27 years old, he’s got plenty of great years ahead of him. I’m surprised that no teams have been strongly linked with the Englishman.
Pompey should already be in talks with him.