‘Portsmouth get green light for Mattsson transfer’ after new reveal
Portsmouth have been given a big boost in their pursuit of Pelle Mattsson.
The Blues have sealed their first summer signing in Australian playmaker Adrian Segecic, but more transfers will be needed if the South Coast club want to avoid a relegation scrap.
Mattsson has been linked with Pompey, and the Danish midfielder was questioned about a potential move to England, with his answer a particularly encouraging one for Portsmouth.
Mattsson admits he’d love to move to England
Mattsson was speaking after playing a friendly for Silkeborg against FC Midtjylland.
The 23-year-old refused to comment directly on being linked with Portsmouth but admitted he would love to play in England one day.
According to Midtjyllands Avis [via The News], Mattsson said (27 June), “It has always been my biggest dream to come to England. It has been like that since I was very little.
“I could also see myself over there in the future in terms of playing style and things like that. It is definitely a great football country.”
Mattsson remained professional when questioned about Portsmouth’s supposed interest, saying that they were only rumours at this point and that he would comment if something more concrete develops.
However, the midfielder’s willingness to express his desire to play in England could be seen as a green light for Pompey to go ahead and make a bid.
It’s well-known that John Mousinho wants a centre-midfielder this summer, and Mattsson appears to have all the qualities needed to thrive in the Championship.
Portsmouth transfer budget will play a role in Mattsson deal
Mattsson came through Silkeborg’s youth system and has only ever played in the Danish Superliga.
Even so, he has been valued at around £2.5million, and that could prove to be too rich for Pompey’s blood.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 33 | 2838 | 3 | 4 |
Portsmouth have one of the smallest transfer budgets in the Championship. As a result, they may see it as risky to spend this amount of money on a player unproven in a major European league.
Ultimately, it will come down to how highly Mousinho rates the Dane. If he is viewed as the saviour of Portsmouth’s midfield woes, the funds could be made available to sign him.
However, it seems more likely that Pompey will be priced out of this deal and forced to look for cheaper options elsewhere.
Silkeborg have qualifying matches for the UEFA Conference League coming up, and the Danish side will surely want Mattsson available for those. Therefore, if any deal is done, it will probably be much later in the summer.
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