Portsmouth on verge of signing impressive Rob Atkinson upgrade, these stats explain why
Portsmouth may have finally found their replacement for Rob Atkinson.
The Bristol City man was stunning during his brief loan spell at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth did want to sign Atkinson again this summer, but the defender has now gone on to secure a spot in the starting XI at the Robins.
The defence has been identified as an area Portsmouth should look to upgrade this summer.
As a result, John Mousinho has been keen to find a replacement for the centre-back before the transfer window slams shut.
Portsmouth look to finalise deal for Josh Knight
Josh Knight could well be Portsmouth’s latest acquisition.
According to The News on 19 August, Pompey are in talks to sign the centre-back from Hanover, just a year after moving to Germany from Peterborough.
Pompey are said to be confident of reaching a permanent deal for the 27-year-old, which could be completed on Wednesday.
Now, according to Fotmob on 19 August, Knight could well be an upgrade on Atkinson, based on their league stats from the 2024/25 campaign.
| League stats from the 2024/25 campaign per 90 minutes | Josh Knight | Rob Atkinson |
| Tackles won | 0.74 | 0.25 |
| Interceptions | 0.98 | 0.74 |
| Blocks | 0.18 | 0.16 |
| Aerial duels won | 3.32 | 5.23 |
| Passing accuracy | 76.4% | 76.8% |
| Shots | 0.74 | 0.49 |
| Goals | 0.18 | 0.16 |
| Chances created | 0.31 | 0.25 |
Knight bettered the Bristol City man in several stats such as tackling, interceptions and blocks.
While Atkinson does have better aerial stats, the Hanover star also found the net more consistently last season.
Read more: John Mousinho may consider Colby Bishop axe for Portsmouth vs West Brom after what happened
Ibane Bowat to depart Portsmouth?
If the signing of Knight is secured, Portsmouth will have plenty of centre-back options this season.
Therefore, Pompey may look to loan out Ibane Bowat before the transfer window closes.
Bowat suffered a terrible injury at Portsmouth last season, which ended his campaign early on.
- Josh Knight had a successful spell at Peterborough where he won the EFL Trophy
- The centre-back has also played in the Championship with Wycombe
- Knight only has a year left on his contract at Hanover
After making his return in Portsmouth 2-1 defeat to Reading in the Carabao Cup, Mousinho may look to loan him out to give him the game time he needs.
The youngster may benefit from a move to League One to help him recover his match sharpness and form after such a long time out of action.
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