John Mousinho says he’s finding something ‘very hard’ at Portsmouth in the transfer window
Portsmouth have recruited well in this summer’s transfer window.
The Blues have brought in six new players this summer, filling in key gaps in central midfield and on the wing.
Yang Min-hyeok became the latest new arrival after agreeing a season-long loan deal on Thursday.
He’ll join new Portsmouth signing Adrian Segecic, who arrived for a six-figure fee, while the likes of John Swift and Mark Kosznovszky will hope to make their competitive debut against Oxford on Saturday.
Mousinho admits it’s been hard to attract strikers to Portsmouth
All in all, it’s been a productive summer for Pompey manager John Mousinho.
Perhaps the one gap in his squad is up front, where Colby Bishop and Thomas Waddingham are the only recognised strikers.
This lack of strength in depth has been exposed now that Bishop is struggling with a groin injury.
Speaking to The News, Mousinho admitted that it had been difficult to recruit strikers because no one of any note would be willing to play second fiddle to Bishop this season.
He said: “We don’t make any bones about it. Colby is our frontline centre-forward at the moment, and it’s going to be very, very hard to shift him.
“So, it’s a difficult thing to recruit underneath that, but if something pops up, I don’t think we can dismiss it.”
Bishop’s injury is expected to keep him out for up to three weeks, leaving Waddingham as the only obvious choice to lead the line for Pompey.
Mousinho may turn to loan signing Florian Bianchini as an alternative. The Italian has previously played up front for his parent club Swansea, although it’s widely agreed that his best position is on the wing.
Mousinho deserves more praise for revamping Portsmouth squad on small budget
Mousinho can do no wrong in the eyes of most Pompey fans.
However, some supporters have bemoaned the lack of striking options available ahead of Portsmouth’s Championship opener at Oxford.
Portsmouth have let two strikers go this summer. They released Kusini Yengi and sold Christian Saydee to Wigan. Mousinho would have had a major role in these decisions.
Some might suggest that they have come back to bite him now that Bishop is injured, but it’s difficult to keep hold of too many reserve players when working with such a small budget.
The departures of Yengi and Saydee would have helped Pompey recruit in other areas.
| Player | Previous Club | Fee |
| Adrian Segecic | Sydney FC | Free |
| John Swift | West Bromwich Albion | Free |
| Mark Kosznovszky | MTK Budapest | Undisclosed |
| Luke Le Roux | IFK Varnamo | Undisclosed |
| Florian Bianchini | Swansea City | Loan |
| Yang Min-hyeok | Tottenham | Loan |
In an ideal world, the Portsmouth squad would be stacked with options in every position. Sadly, that’s not a world that Mousinho can live in right now.
He deserves more credit for building the squad with such limited funds available.
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