‘John Mousinho looks to seal another bargain’ as Portsmouth eye Harvey Knibbs
John Mousinho has developed a reputation of signing bargains at Portsmouth.
Josh Murphy has become one of Pompey’s best players after he joined Fratton Park on a free transfer last summer.
On top of this, Adrian Segecic’s transfer to Portsmouth has been considered a coup after the Australian shone in the A-League.
Now, Mousinho is aiming to repeat this trick as he looks to sign Harvey Knibbs from Reading.
Portsmouth monitoring Harvey Knibbs
Knibbs has shone in League One at Reading since he joined the Royals in 2023.
The 26-year-old, who has mainly been used as a central midfielder, has become one of the best players in the third tier.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Knibbs netted 16 times and picked up six assists in all competitions as Reading narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
Portsmouth have been linked to Knibbs in the past, and now the transfer saga seems to have been reignited.
| Harvey Knibbs’ Reading career | |
| Appearances | 100 |
| Goals | 32 |
| Assists | 12 |
According to Reading Today (20 July), the Royals face a fight to keep hold of their star man.
Knibbs is yet to feature in any pre-season matches, with manager Noel Hunt admitting that a bid would be accepted if a good offer comes in.
As a result, multiple Championship clubs are said to be monitoring the situation, including Sheffield United, Oxford United, and Portsmouth.
Given that Knibbs is now into the last year of his contract, the 26-year-old could prove to be a bargain for Pompey.
While it is unknown exactly how much Reading will demand, the fact that his deal is up in less than 12 months will likely mean that the fee will be significantly reduced.
Knibbs would be an excellent Pompey signing
Scoring 16 goals in a season is some feat for any player, let alone a midfielder.
Therefore, it is obvious that Knibbs would be an excellent signing for Portsmouth and would transform their midfield.
Now, Mousinho needs to ensure that he gets the transfer over the line.
With clubs such as Sheffield United interested, it will be a massive battle to ensure that they beat the Blades to his signature. However, it is doable if Pompey act quickly.
Sign up for the Pompey News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Portsmouth news sent straight to your phone.