‘Portsmouth need to seal £780k agreement to sign John Swift’ – Exclusive
Portsmouth could well pull off an impressive piece of transfer business by bringing in former West Brom midfielder John Swift.
Swift is available on a free transfer as his contract at The Hawthorns is expiring, and it’s believed he’s keen on a move to Fratton Park
Indeed, Swift was born in Portsmouth and spent some time in the club’s youth system, so the transfer would represent a homecoming for the midfielder.
However, the transfer might not be could as simple or indeed as attractive as it seems at first glance.
Swift ‘will demand wages of at least £15,000 per week‘
Danny Wright, who is editor of West Brom News, suggests that Swift would likely command a weekly wage of at least £15,000.
That’s an annual salary of £780,000, a sum which Wright believes could be better spent elsewhere.
In an exclusive interview with Pompey News, he said: “The Championship is a very physically demanding league, and Swift struggles in it a lot. He’s lightweight, and his terrible work ethic saw him regularly booed by West Brom fans.
“He’s been one of Albion’s highest-earning players for the last couple of years, so pretty much the entire fanbase is glad that he’s leaving at the end of his contract later this month.
“Maybe a move to a team from his hometown will spark something in Swift’s belly, but I just don’t see it. This is a player who’ll be turning 30 very soon and has already shown that he might be counting down the days to his retirement.
“He’s available for free, but as it was reported that he was on around £22,000-a-week at West Brom. Portsmouth will probably have to stump up at least £15,000-a-week if they want to get this deal done, and for a team that’s only recently returned to the second tier, I don’t see that being a worthwhile investment.”
Mousinho will need to be savvy during summer transfer window
It’s no secret that Portsmouth need to sign a central midfielder or two during this summer’s transfer window.
However, the transfer war chest at Fratton Park is likely to be limited compared to most of Pompey’s Championship rivals.
If John Mousinho does want Swift, he’ll need to be sure it’s a good fit. Although he’s available on a free transfer, these wage demands would put him among the club’s highest-paid players.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 37 | 1819 | 3 | 1 |
The manager has previously signed former Portsmouth youth players like Marlon Pack and Matt Ritchie, and these were good signings. But that doesn’t mean Swift will be.
Mousinho hasn’t commented on this particular transfer rumour yet, so it’s not clear how close a deal is to being done.
For sure, though, if he agrees with this verdict that Swift isn’t a hard worker, there’s no chance we’ll see him in a Pompey shirt next season.