Portsmouth to make clear Franco Umeh decision as John Mousinho eyes last-minute transfer
Portsmouth will be hopeful of adding the finishing touches to their squad in the final few days of the transfer window.
Clubs have until Monday to sign off on new additions to their squads, and must then wait until January before having the opportunity to strengthen their hands once again.
John Mousinho’s Portsmouth side have had a mixed start to the new Championship campaign, with their win at Oxford on the opening day followed by a defeat to Norwich and a draw at West Brom.
The boss has now had time to assess his squad, and he has identified one key area of priority to address in the coming days.
John Mousinho’s final attacker should not be Franco Umeh
Portsmouth have been linked with a move for Franco Umeh in the last few days, with a season-long loan move looking like a genuine possibility for the Crystal Palace youngster.
The 20-year-old is predominantly a wideman, but can also operate through the middle, and is tipped to have a big future ahead of him at Selhurst Park.
He is yet to play senior minutes for his boyhood club, but did feature on the bench eight times in the Premier League last term.
- Umeh was an unused substitute in the Premier League eight times last term
- He notched five goals and one assist in Premier League 2 in 2024/25
- Umeh has already represented Ireland at both U17 and U19 level
Mousinho is understood to be chasing another attacker before the imminent deadline, according to The News, but he should be turning his attention elsewhere rather than towards Umeh.
Pompey already have plenty of inexperienced players within their ranks, and should be looking to add a more proven EFL campaigner to complement the options that they already have within their attack.
Portsmouth need another number nine
Colby Bishop’s goal for Pompey in the West Brom draw was huge for Mousinho, as he will need the frontman to be back to his best in the coming months.
There is little depth below the 28-year-old when it comes to out-and-out strikers, with Thomas Waddingham the only other realistic option to play as a genuine number nine.
| Strikers | Wingers | Attacking Midfielders |
| Colby Bishop | Callum Lang | Adrian Segecic |
| Thomas Waddingham | Josh Murphy | Callum Lang |
| Florian Bianchini | ||
| Yang Min-hyeok | ||
| Abdoulaye Kamara |
Portsmouth are blessed with plenty of quality outlets as part of the three that sit behind the striker in Mousinho’s system, with Josh Murphy, Callum Lang, Adrian Segecic and Florian Bianchini among many.
With that in mind, a move for Umeh would have little significance to the South Coast outfit.
Instead, they would surely be better served trying to secure another option to lead the line, to help cover for any potential injuries and Waddingham’s inexperience.
That is no slight on Umeh as a player, but he isn’t really what Portsmouth need right now.
Sign up for the Pompey News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Portsmouth news sent straight to your phone.