Man United set to benefit as ‘significant’ Portsmouth transfer update shared
Portsmouth are on the hunt for new midfielders as they prepare for another season in the Championship.
Two key centre-midfielders, Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden, have both returned to their parent clubs after successful loan spells.
That means the Blues are short in this position and it has been labelled as a priority for Pompey in this summer’s transfer window.
New details on Pompey target Charlie Savage emerge
Manager John Mousinho has reportedly shown interest in signing Reading midfielder Charlie Savage.
The 22-year-old was a key player for the Royals in League One this season and looks ready to step up a division.
However, in a new update via the Reading Chronicle (5 June), it has emerged that 50 per cent of any transfer fee earned on the sale of Savage would have to be paid to his former club Manchester United.
This sell-on fee means it would likely take a “significant” bid to persuade Reading to sell the youngster.
Savage is also one of just five outfield players under contract at the Select Car Leasing stadium, which could make the club even more reluctant to sell.
Portsmouth will need to play it smart in the transfer market
Charlie Savage would be an exciting signing for Portsmouth. The youngster provides the energy and tenacity that is arguably now missing in the Blues midfield after the departures of Potts and Hayden.
However, it’s well-known that the transfer warchest at Fratton Park isn’t as large as most clubs in the Championship.
So, it seems likely they won’t be able to meet Reading’s valuation of the player.
And it wouldn’t be smart to blow their transfer budget on a 22-year-old with no experience in the second tier.
| Portsmouth loan players 2024-25 | |
| Freddie Potts | Returned to West Ham |
| Isaac Hayden | Returned to Newcastle |
| Adil Aouchiche | Returned to Sunderland |
| Rob Atkinson | Returned to Bristol City |
| Mark O’Mahony | Returned to Brighton |
| Kaide Gordon | Returned to Liverpool |
Birmingham, Blackburn and Wrexham have all been monitoring Savage as well. These are three clubs more equipped to pay the type of fee that Reading will be searching for.
It will be interesting to see whether Savage does arrive in the Championship this summer. He had previously pledged his future to Reading, but those words tend to ring hollow when the right club makes their interest known.
Either way, it seems that Mousinho might have to look elsewhere for a new box-to-box midfield star.