Portsmouth ‘to move now for Josh Knight’ after what Hannover 96 chief has said
Portsmouth are continuing to seek new signings despite adding six players to their squad this summer.
The Blues remain in the hunt for defenders, with John Mousinho having admitted he’s interested in signing Hannover 96 centre-half Josh Knight.
Pompey’s squad already looked well-stacked with centre-backs, although the goals Portsmouth conceded against Reading and Norwich may have convinced Mousinho that an upgrade is needed there.
And it may well be that Knight is the next player to arrive at Fratton Park.
Hannover 96 chief admits they could sell Josh Knight this summer
Knight is an English defender who moved from Peterborough United to Hannover last summer.
He made over 135 appearances for Peterborough after signing for them in 2021. He played in the Championship for the Posh and during a season-long spell at Wycombe.
He turned down a new contract at Peterborough in favour of a move to Hannover instead. He made 24 appearances for the 2. Bundesliga club last season, scoring three goals.
Now, it appears that the German club are willing to let him negotiate a move back to England.
According to The News, the club’s managing director Marcus Mann as said “it’s not impossible” that he will leave.
Knight has been left out of all three of Hannover’s opening games of this season.
Portsmouth’s pursuit of Knight proves a week is a long time in football
When the Championship season kicked off on 9 August, it looked like Portsmouth had no interest in signing a new centre-half.
After all, they already had Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy ready to marshal the backline, with promising youngsters Hayden Matthews and Ibane Bowat in reserve.
Poole and Shaughnessy both produced momentous performances in Portsmouth’s 1-0 win at Oxford, and Pompey fans started believing they could get used to seeing more solid defensive performances on the road.
| Player | 2024-25 appearances |
| Poole | 27 |
| Shaughnessy | 9 |
| Matthews | 6 |
| Bowat | 0 |
Three days later, Bowat and Matthews were given their chance to impress in the Carabao Cup, but several mistakes were made during a 2-1 defeat.
Pompey then lost 2-1 to Norwich that weekend, with both goals coming from simple set pieces.
Knight looks more than capable of adding some strength in depth to Portsmouth’s defence. However, some fans may question whether the money could be better spent elsewhere.
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