Portsmouth’s new Championship rivals face minimum 12-point deduction
Portsmouth achieved their goal of Championship survival this season and will now look to push further up the table next term.
John Mousinho guided Pompey to 16th in the second-tier standings, five points clear of the relegation zone.
With big-spending clubs such as Wrexham and Birmingham City entering the division next season, retaining their Championship status for a third successive year will be a tough task for Pompey.
With teams set to battle tirelessly for every point they can get, Mousinho and Co. may get handed an early boost before the 2025/26 season gets underway.
Leicester City could be dealt hammer blow ahead of new Championship season
Leicester City suffered a miserable return to the Premier League this campaign, putting up a toothless survival fight and ultimately succumbing to relegation months before it was mathematically confirmed.
The Foxes became the first Premier League team to lose eight top-flight games in a row without scoring a single goal and now may be set to suffer a further blow upon their return to the Championship, if the East Midlands side are found guilty of breaching the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability rules.
According to a report from Matt Hughes, Leicester were charged with a £17million breach during the 2021-24 reporting cycle.
Sheffield Wednesday were docked 12 points in 2020 following an £18million breach, though that was later reduced to six following an appeal.
EFL guidelines state that a club should be docked 12 points for breaching PSR, with a sliding scale applied to deductions if the breach is less than £15m.
Retaining Freddie Potts could set Portsmouth up for success
Although the mission of Championship survival was accomplished by Portsmouth last season, the club can’t afford to rest on their laurels.
Time has shown that remaining stagnant in the second-tier usually spells disaster, and therefore Pompey must recruit well this summer.
Ideally, Mousinho would like to keep hold of West Ham United youngster Freddie Potts for a second season, but that currently looks unlikely.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 37 | 3062 | 1 | 4 |
Sporting director Rich Hughes wants to sign the ‘outstanding’ midfielder, but time will tell whether Portsmouth decide to allocate a large amount of their resources to securing the 21-year-old’s signature this summer.
Pompey fans were chanting for the youngster to be signed permanently toward the end of the season, and Potts has spoken highly about his time at Fratton Park.
Several other bright young midfielders have been linked with The Blues, including 18-year-old Crystal Palace playermaker Hindolo Mustapha, and the club will surely have a back-up plan if they can’t get Potts through the door.