10 most expensive Portsmouth transfers of all time: From £7m Harry Redknapp flop to Sulley Muntari
In Portsmouth’s 127-year history, the club has welcomed both unsung heroes and costly signings that didn’t quite work out.
Portsmouth ended the last transfer window with a frenzy of activity, as John Mousinho looks to push his side further up the Championship table this season.
The transfer window is always a manic time of year, as deadline days have previously helped Portsmouth have seasons they could never dream of.
While savvy moves like bringing David James and Nwankwo Kanu to Portsmouth have paid off, Fratton Park has also seen its fair share of failed big-money moves.
With that in mind, Pompey News takes a look at the top 10 most expensive Portsmouth signings of all time.
10. Glen Johnson – £4m from Chelsea
Glen Johnson initially joined from Chelsea on a season-long loan in the 2006-07 season. The Englishman impressed and later joined the club permanently in 2007 for a fee in the region of £4m, according to The Guardian.
Johnson was one of several excellent signings made by Portsmouth, playing a key role in the club’s successful 2008 FA Cup campaign.
He was regarded as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League during his time at Pompey.
Johnson later enjoyed six title-chasing seasons with Liverpool after making the switch from Fratton Park to Anfield in 2009.
9. Benjani Mwaruwari – £4.1m from AJ Auxerre
Forward Benjani Mwaruwari joined from French side AJ Auxerre in January 2006 for a reported fee of around £4m, according to BBC Sport.
Benjani wasn’t known to be one of the flashiest strikers, but he worked hard and did manage to score goals 19 goals in 77 games before joining Manchester City in January 2008 for £9.5m.
The fee was too good for Portsmouth to turn down at the time, as Redknapp explained a comical story of how Benjani’s exit from Fratton Park came about.
Benjani made his return to Fratton Park in 2011 as a 33-year-old, rejoining the club as a free agent.
8. Yakubu Ayegbeni – £4.2m from Haccabi Haifa
Yakubu Ayegbeni initially joined Portsmouth on loan from Maccabi Haifa in January 2003.
‘The Yak’ helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League, and subsequently, Pompey brought him back permanently for around €6m, according to UEFA.com. The deal was done in 2003, where the pricetag equated to £4.2m at the time.
| Appearances | Goals |
| 81 | 35 |
Yakubu left in 2007 as a fan favourite, as he was sold to Middlesbrough for £7.5m in what was a club-record sale at the time.
7. Lassane Diarra – £5.5m from Chelsea
Frenchman Lassana Diarra joined Portsmouth in August 2007 from Chelsea for a fee of £5.5m, which was paid back tenfold.
He quickly established himself as an integral part of Pompey’s midfield and was known for his defensive skills, and ability to break up opposition play – he also loved a bit of argy bargy too.
Diarra played a heroic role in helping Portsmouth the FA Cup in 2008, adn without him the club might not have gone all the way.
The midfielder was a standout performer and later got a big move to Real Madrid, further showcasing how good Diarra truly was.
6. David Nugent – £6m from Preston North End
Though being a successful scorer at practically every other club he was at during his career, David Nugent struggled to repay the massive fee of £6m Pompey splashed out on him.
Portsmouth brought Nugent to the club from Preston North End in the summer of the 2007-08 season, with high expectations for the young striker.
Despite going down as one of the club’s most expensive signings in history, Nugent was an overall a poor return on value.
| Appearances | Goals |
| 34 | 3 |
Nugent scored just three goals in two and a half seasons at the club before he joined Burnley on loan in the 2009-10 season.
Nugent returned to Fratton Park for Pompey’s first season back in the Championship in 2010, where he scored 13 goals, leaving permanently the following summer.
5. Younes Kaboul – £6m from Tottenham
Younes Kaboul joined Portsmouth from Tottenham in 2008 for a fee of £6m, according to The National News.
The French centre back spent a season and a half at Fratton Park before rejoining Tottenham in January of 2009, right before Pompey’s relegation.
Though Kaboul was sold back to Tottenham to raise funds for a struggling Pompey, many would regard him as a good signing.
Kaboul played predominantly at centre back but often filled in at right-back too, as he came across as a player who was genuinely committed to helping Portsmouth achieve.
4. Sulley Muntari – £7m from Udinese
Sulley Muntari was another successful signing made in the 2007 period, and arguably the best one at that.
Midfielder Muntari joined Pompey for a reported fee of £7m from Italian side Udinese, according to The Standard. He brought strength and energy to Harry Redknapp‘s midfield.
Muntari also had a rocket of a left foot and loved a shot from long range.
He was instrumental to Portsmouth’s FA Cup victory in 2008, and will always go down as a great signing.
3. John Utaka – £7m from Stade Rennes
Perhaps the biggest flop in Portsmouth’s history was when Redknapp brought John Utaka to the club. The striker signed in July 2007 for a whopping £7m from French side Stade Rennes, according to Sky Sports.
The price tag came with high expectations of the Nigerian, however, the forward only amassed seven goals in 90 games that he played for the club.
Some argue that his assist in Portsmouth’s FA Cup final victory in 2008 was worth the hefty price tag.
However, the reality is that his hefty wages contributed to Portsmouth’s financial downfall.
2. Jermain Defoe – £7.5m from Tottenham
Jermain Defoe is one of the highest goal scorers in English football history and left his mark during his time with Portsmouth.
He joined the club on loan from Tottenham for the 2007-08 season, but then joined permanently for a reported £7.5m the following season, and formed a lethal partnership with Peter Crouch.
He stood out for his work ethic and his electric pace, as he so often found his way in behind the opposition’s defence.
He scored a recorded 18 goals across both seasons with Pompey, before he left and rejoined Spurs in 2009 where he would go on to score many more goals.
1. Peter Crouch – £11m from Liverpool
A young Crouch initially joined Pompey on loan from Aston Villa during the 2001-02 season, where he had a fantastic season, scoring 18 goals.
He later rejoined the club for a club record fee of £11m from Liverpool in 2008.
Crouch was a force to be reckoned with and is one of the most unique strikers in Premier League history with his 6’7″ frame.
Though he didn’t achieve silverware with Portsmouth, he did help stabilize them as a Premier League club, as he scored 11 goals in one season in his second stint before joining Tottenham the following year.
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