Portsmouth ‘still have Pelle Mattsson transfer hope’ after Norwich developments
Pelle Mattsson remains a key target for Portsmouth.
Pompey are desperate to sign centre-midfielders this summer, and Mattsson appears to have all the attributes to excel in the Championship.
It had appeared as if Portsmouth were going to lose out to Norwich City on this signing as the Canaries were believed to be in advanced talks with the Danish midfield star.
However, a new report suggests that Norwich may no longer be as keen to sign Mattsson.
Norwich eyeing alternatives to Mattsson
As reported by O Jogo (15 July), Norwich are now interested in signing Serbian midfielder Mirko Topić. As a result, this could see the East Anglia outfit give up on their pursuit of Mattsson.
Samuel Seaman, who is a Norwich City reporter for a handful of local publications, has suggested that signing Topić would mean Norwich missing out on Mattsson, as the Canaries would be unlikely to recruit two defensive midfielders.
Norwich are reportedly set to make a move for Topić, who currently plays for Portuguese side Famalicão. Their success in signing him could open the door for Mattsson to arrive at Fratton Park.
A lot of steps would still be required for that to become a reality, but Mattsson signing for Pompey now looks more likely than it previously did.
Portsmouth midfielders will have a chance to shine in pre-season
Mousinho and his recruitment team have been pushing to sign centre-midfielders ever since the transfer window opened.
Mousinho relied on loan signings Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden last season, but both have returned to their parent clubs. It was initially hoped that one or both players could come back to Fratton Park, but that’s looking unlikely.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 33 | 2838 | 3 | 4 |
The Pompey boss would have hoped to have signed at least one midfield star by now, but it hasn’t proven that easy. The Blues have been linked with the likes of Mark Kosznovszky and Charlie Savage, but their only signing so far this summer is Australian playmaker Adrian Segecic.
Therefore, Portsmouth’s existing midfielders will get more chances to make an impression during their pre-season friendlies.
Pompey visit Woking (15 July), Farnborough (16 July) and Crawley (19 July) this week. Marlon Pack, Andre Dozzell, and the forgotten Abdoluaye Kamara are all expected to feature.
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