Pelle Mattsson fate sealed as Portsmouth make official transfer announcement
Portsmouth have delighted their fans with the announcement of two new signings in one day.
On Friday (25 July), Luke Le Roux and Mark Kosznovszky both signed three-year deals at Fratton Park.
Both players operate as centre-midfielders, filling a gap where Pompey were believed to be short of quality.
However, that leads to the question: what now for Pompey’s other midfield target, Pelle Mattsson?
Portsmouth to cool interest in Mattsson
Portsmouth were one of several clubs fighting to sign Mattsson from Silkeborg IF, and were believed to be favourites for his signature for a while.
However, their interest in the Dane will likely cool now that Le Roux and Kosznovszky have arrived at Fratton Park.
Mattsson would likely cost more than £2million to sign, and Pompey are believed to have spent close to that amount on this midfield pair.
They have also recruited John Swift, a playmaker who can sit deeper in the heart of midfield. Sadly, the club doesn’t have £2m lying around to spend on a fourth centre-midfield signing.
Indeed, Danish publication Tipsbladet reports (25 July) that Norwich City are closing in on Mattsson. They have bid around £2.6m for the midfielder, which exceeds Silkeborg IF’s original valuation of the player.
Mousinho shows transfer market nous
Pompey boss Mousinho will be delighted to have signed two midfielders in one day, filling a gap in his squad where Pompey looked worryingly short.
The fees for both players were undisclosed, although Kosznovszky was believed to be valued at £1m. Le Roux was likely the cheaper of the pair.
So, Mousinho has probably recruited two midfielders for the price of one.
It remains to be seen who got the better deal. Mattsson could light up the Championship for Norwich, while Le Roux and Kosznovszky flop.
| Portsmouth’s summer signings 2025 | Previous Club | Fee |
| Adrian Segecic | Sydney FC | £0 |
| John Swift | West Bromwich Albion | £0 |
| Mark Kosznovszky | MTK Budapest | Undisclosed |
| Luke Le Roux | IFK Varnamo | Undisclosed |
However, all three are young midfielders who are unproven in a major European league. Perhaps it’s better to take a punt on two signings rather than relying on one. Fans will have to wait and see.
However, given Mousinho’s previous record of signing young talents, Portsmouth fans should be confident in his choices.
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