Portsmouth given Orford loan answer by West Ham after successful Potts spell
Portsmouth are working hard to build a squad capable of improving on this season’s 16th-place finish in the Championship.
The summer transfer window has officially opened, and it’s widely accepted that Pompey may need some new recruits to maintain their place in the second tier.
As the Fratton Park club have one of the lowest transfer budgets in the Championship, it’s expected that they may look to the loan market for new players.
Portsmouth given answer after Lewis Orford loan speculation
John Mousinho may prioritise signing a centre-midfielder now that loan signings Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden have both returned to their parent clubs.
This has left Pompey somewhat short of box-to-box midfielders to dictate the play.
Portsmouth have been linked with a loan move for West Ham midfielder Lewis Orford, who is an energetic defensive midfielder in a similar mould to Potts.
Potts thrived at Fratton Park on loan from West Ham last season and there was hope of a similar deal being struck for fellow young talent Orford.
However, this deal would appear to be a non-starter. A report from the ExWHUEmployee via Patreon (7 June) suggests that Orford will remain at the London Stadium to fight for a first-team place next season.
George Earthy, another young midfield star who had been linked with Norwich, is also reportedly set to be retained.
Midfield engines should be a priority for Portsmouth this summer
Portsmouth’s first-team squad looks a little light now that six loan stars have returned to their parent clubs.
The exits of Potts and Hayden are particularly troublesome, and Mousinho will surely be pulling out all the stops to replace them.
The Pompey boss utilised the loan market incredibly well this season. If the club does loan a young midfielder from a Premier League club again this summer, supporters will be confident that he can do the business.
| Portsmouth loan signings 2024-25 | |
| Freddie Potts | returned to West Ham United |
| Issac Hayden | returned to Newcastle United |
| Rob Atkinson | returned to Bristol City |
| Adil Aouchiche | returned to Sunderland |
| Mark O’Mahony | returned to Brighton |
| Kaide Gordon | returned to Liverpool |
The departure of centre-half Rob Atkinson also weakens the Blues’ first XI, and it’s no surprise that Mousinho is doing all he can to resign the Bristol City man. The news looks positive on that front, although ultimately it will depend on whether new Robins Liam Manning manager wants to sell.
If Portsmouth can fill in these two gaps, they’ll look significantly more well-equipped to excel in the Championship next season.