Portsmouth may just have repeated Terry Devlin transfer trick with winger signing
Portsmouth may have hit the jackpot as they welcome a new signing to Fratton Park.
Pompey had a busy summer window as they looked to arm John Mousinho with sufficient cavalry to compete.
John Swift rejoined Portsmouth on a free transfer from fellow Championship side West Brom. Swift started Portsmouth’s draw against West Brom but was taken off during the 57th minute.
Conor Chaplin and Yang Min-Hyeok were among Pompey’s loan transfers, while Mark Kosznovszky arrived at Portsmouth from MTK Budapest for £1.2million.
While the summer window has closed, Pompey are hoping their most recent transfer pays off.
Brandon Downey transfer mirrors Terry Devlin’s arrival
On 6 September, Portsmouth announced the signing of winger Brandon Downey for their Academy.
The 16-year-old will join from Northern Ireland side Crusaders for an undisclosed fee. This is similar to Terry Devlin’s arrival in several respects.
Portsmouth signed Devlin from Northern Ireland side Glentoran in June 2023 on an initial three-year deal. Devlin, who was 19 at the time, has impressed over the years with his skill, versatility and attacking qualities.
- Devlin has made 65 appearances for Portsmouth since his arrival, notching five goal contributions
- The versatile player was named in Pompey’s Championship squad 40 times last season and started 13 games
- Devlin has appeared as a substitute in three of Portsmouth’s four league games this season
With both players arriving from Northern Ireland, it is hard not to draw comparisons between the two.
Devlin and Downey both arrived at Pompey as teenagers, albeit Devlin was on the older side. While both also had experience in the Northern Ireland first tier before arriving at Fratton Park.
As such, like Devlin, Downey could go on to become a valued member of Portsmouth’s squad.
What will Brandon Downey bring to Portsmouth?
While he will first be integrated into Portsmouth’s Under-18s, his career so far indicates that this will not be for long.
Downey made 12 appearances for Crusaders in the 2024/25 season, playing 182 minutes of football.
He is a technical and dynamic left winger, and, similar to Devlin, is comfortable playing in numerous positions.
As well as being a left winger, Downey offers a real threat as a centre-forward. This level of versatility could be of use for Portsmouth, particularly during the toe end of this and future seasons.
As such, Downey will bring experience from the Premiership, versatility and youth to Portsmouth.
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