‘Portsmouth to go all out for ready-made Ritchie replacement’ as bid prepared
Portsmouth will be keen to land a replacement for Matt Ritchie following news that the 35-year-old will leave this summer.
Ritchie returned to his boyhood club last year after almost a decade away from Fratton Park, and immediately became an influential figure as Pompey survived relegation from the Championship.
It has recently been revealed that Ritchie hasn’t travelled to Slovakia with the rest of the Pompey squad, and he will now spend the summer searching for a new club.
John Mousinho cannot provide the amount of gametime that the veteran needs at this stage of his career, and that has resulted in the two parties amicably agreeing to part ways.
Portsmouth to chase Abu Kamara as Ritchie’s replacement
News of Ritchie’s departure sparked disappointment among the Pompey faithful, which is an understandable reaction given his performances last season.
The former Newcastle man played a vital role on the right flank for Mousinho’s side, and he undoubtedly still has enough left in him to be a Championship player again next term.
However, with Ritchie deciding he should move on ahead of the upcoming campaign, Pompey’s attention must turn towards sourcing a capable replacement.
Portsmouth have been linked with a move for Abu Kamara, who starred for them during a loan spell at Fratton Park in the 2023/24 campaign.
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The 21-year-old is now at Hull City, but he could be on the move again this summer, with Rangers thought to be preparing a bid to sign him, according to Sky Sports (10 July, 10:46am).
Pompey should be doing everything in their power to ensure they can secure the signing of Kamara. He has already flourished within Mousinho’s system, and has now also proven that he can be a threat at Championship level.
Kamara would be an ideal Ritchie replacement
Kamara is currently thought to be happy at Hull, but with the Tigers facing financial issues behind the scenes, they would surely be open to doing business if Portsmouth tabled a reasonable offer.
The left-footed winger would be a ready-made replacement for Ritchie, and would maintain the balance in the attacking third, given his tendency to cut inside from the right wing.
The former Norwich academy graduate would provide pace and energy in the wide areas, and he possesses all the technical attributes needed to be a huge threat to second-tier defences.
Portsmouth will have to go all out if they want to land Kamara, given Rangers’ imminent advances, but he would certainly represent an effective and low-risk alternative to Ritchie.
With that in mind, the Eisners need to act quickly in the transfer market and ensure they win the race for the young star.
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