Portsmouth learn Mattsson reality as Mousinho makes transfer admission
Portsmouth have been chasing the signing of Pelle Mattsson for several weeks now.
The Silkeborg midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Championship this summer, with Norwich City also keen to bring him to England.
Portsmouth have been showing a sustained interest in Mattsson, but they have yet to properly materialise their interest in the 23-year-old.
John Mousinho will know that he needs to add quality this summer if his side are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle this term, and Mattsson could go a long way towards improving the level of the squad.
Portsmouth end hope of Mattsson deal
Portsmouth’s hopes of signing Mattsson were dealt a blow on Friday (25 July), when they completed the signings of two other central midfielders.
Mark Kosznovszky and Luke Le Roux were both unveiled at Fratton Park, which now means that Mousinho has plenty of depth at his disposal in the middle of the pitch.
Pompey’s chase of Mattsson has been gradually fading for some time now, but it now appears to be at the stage where there is no chance of them revitalising their interest in the Dane at all.
Friday’s (25 July) double arrival has taken the South Coast outfit’s squad into a promising position, particularly in the centre of the park; there is not really any need for further wholesale changes.
Mousinho has now delivered an update on his midfield ranks ahead of his team’s pre-season clash with Havant and Waterlooville on Tuesday (29 July).
The Pompey boss has suggested that the arrivals of Kosznovszky and Le Roux will mark the end of the additions to the midfield, which all but rules out any move for Mattsson.
The 39-year-old told The News (28 July) that he feels his side are “pretty well-placed in the middle of the park” and also revealed that he is satisfied with the options that he has available in the engine room.
With that in mind, any lingering hope of Portsmouth also making overtures to sign Mattsson are now surely a distant memory.
Mousinho will be happy with his squad
Portsmouth face tighter budget constraints than many of their Championship rivals, which can often put them at a disadvantage in the transfer market.
However, Mousinho has every right to be happy with the business that the club have been able to conclude this summer.
Losing Matt Ritchie is an unexpected blow, but Pompey have been able to add extra quality in key areas of the pitch, as well as retaining several of their other key players.
The focus on exploring foreign leagues for talent has continued, and much of their fate next term may well depend on whether the likes of Kosznovszky and Adrian Segecic can make a seamless adaptation to the Football League.
If Pompey’s deals of that ilk ultimately pay off, then they could be in for a very exciting season ahead of them.
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