Massive red flag emerges in Portsmouth’s pursuit of Franco Umeh
Portsmouth are remaining active in the transfer window as the final days of activity approach.
John Mousinho has already been active in the transfer market with Pompey, bringing in seven new signings to date.
The most recent has been Josh Knight, who joined Portsmouth from Hanover earlier this week.
Now, Pompey are looking to add to their squad once more as they eye Crystal Palace’s Franco Umeh.
Portsmouth target Franco Umeh has a poor injury record
With Portsmouth in need of more attackers, Mousinho has wasted no time finding more targets.
According to The News on 24 August, Pompey want to sign Umeh on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old represents the Republic of Ireland’s under-21s, primarily operates as a left winger, but can also play as a striker.
However, there is already a potential warning sign about Portsmouth’s target.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Umeh’s season was hampered by injuries. The winger picked up a hamstring injury in early November, which ruled him out until January.
- Umeh joined Crystal Palace from Cork City in 2024
- The winger played 16 times for the academy last season, netting five times
- Umeh has struggled with injuries over the past year
This has been a consistent theme for the 20-year-old, with Umeh being sidelined this pre-season with another issue with his hamstring.
Therefore, this is already a massive red flag for Mousinho as they cannot sign a player who such a poor injury record.
This could also prove to be a detriment to Portsmouth this season, as they may not be able to rely on Umeh when needed.
On top of this, while the winger has impressed for the academy, he is yet to make an appearance in the first team, which could well be down to these issues.
Portsmouth need to pay more attention to signing’s injury records
While Portsmouth can argue they have been unlucky, plenty of their new signings in recent years have gone on to have long-term injuries.
Just one example is Thomas Waddingham, who has struggled for fitness at Portsmouth since his January move.
Therefore, Portsmouth must be more wary of the injury records of their targets if they are to progress on the pitch.
If not, they may find themselves in yet another injury crisis which will no doubt affect their season negatively.
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