Portsmouth ‘have easy Manneh decision to make’ amid latest development
Portsmouth are preparing to improve their squad ahead of a new campaign in the Championship.
John Mousinho’s men did incredibly well to secure a 16th-place finish this season following their promotion from League One.
However, it’s widely agreed that new signings are needed if the team is going to progress.
Portsmouth need to take care when it comes to marquee signings
There was a lot of excitement among fans when Portsmouth were linked with a move for Gambian forward Abdoulie Manneh.
The 20-year-old was the leading goalscorer in the Swedish top flight and has declared his interest in playing for an English club.
Manneh’s AIF Mjallby side slapped a £4.2million price tag on him, but Portsmouth continued to monitor the striker.
However, it now seems like Manneh is more likely to join a Premier League team, if he does leave Mjallby at all.
Perhaps that’s the best thing for Pompey. It’s exciting to hear that they potentially have £4.2million to spend on an unproven striker, but that’s not the smartest use of their money.
Mousinho will need to be savvy in the transfer market
It’s frequently suggested that Portsmouth have one of the smallest budgets in the Championship.
Mousinho kept his team in the second tier while spending significantly less than his immediate rivals, and it’s likely he’ll have to do the same next year.
So, splashing all of Pompey’s cash on a ‘marquee signing’ like Manneh would be a risky strategy.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 13 | 1032 | 6 | 2 |
What if the star signing tears his ACL and becomes sidelined for the season? What if he struggles to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Championship? These are all realistic risks that a club takes when signing a player from overseas, so putting all the club’s eggs in one basket is reckless.
It’s better to take calculated risks on several players, even if they’re not being hyped as ‘the next big thing’ by the media.
Mousinho has shown that he can build a formidable team from loan deals, free transfers and bargains from lesser-known leagues.
That’s likely to be the smartest way forward for Portsmouth again this summer.