Cost just £250k: Portsmouth FC will make millions on player investment: View | OneFootball

Paddy Lane is proving to be one of the signings of the summer for Portsmouth, with the former Fleetwood Town man helping to fire the south coast side towards League One promotion.

The Northern Irishman has found the net 11 times for Pompey this season, as well as laying on another six goals for his teammates to see his side hold a five-point lead at the summit of the third tier.

Reportedly costing just £250,000, last January’s move from Highbury is proving to be some of the best business the club has done in recent history; with his value likely to have increased tenfold after a number of standout displays for John Mousinho’s side.

Premier League sides Brighton and West Ham United were both said to be interested in the young star’s services while he was still with the Cod Army, and after a superb season by the Solent you can see exactly why.

Paddy Lane's Portsmouth FC 2023-24 season

After making his way through the non-league circuit, Lane joined Fleetwood in the summer of 2021 after impressing at Hyde United and Farsley Celtic in the lower reaches of the game.

Eight goals over 18 months in Lancashire was enough to tempt the Fratton Park side into making a move for the young star, as he joined the club just 11 days after current boss Mousinho took the helm, but it was more of his creative side rather than scoring that caught Pompey's attention.

A solid start to life in blue saw the 23-year-old impress in a steady enough season for his new side, but since the summer Lane has contributed to the Pompey juggernaut which has seen them taste defeat just four times in the league.

With 14 summer arrivals to the club, Mousinho had the core of a new squad to work with after an off-season full of upheaval, and those additions have only helped the former non-league star to flourish out wide and find the net on a regular basis.

It took the ex-Fleetwood man five games to get himself on the scoresheet for the first time this season - the opener in a 3-2 win away to Barnsley - before two more strikes in as many games to follow that really got his campaign ticking.

Braces in both games against Northampton Town have further bolstered his tally for the season, as well as the opener against promotion rivals Stevenage on New Year’s Day and the only goal of the game against Carlisle United last month.

His contributions to the overall points tally have been massive this year, and he has proved himself to be one of the most adept attacking talents in the third tier, with a step up of at least one division on the cards for the following campaign.

Lane will more than likely have a say in how Pompey’s games finish, with none of his teammates registering a figure quite as high in 23/24.

Only seven players can better him for that statistic this season, with the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Chris Martin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing all well-established players at a higher level earlier in their careers, while Karamoko Dembele and Kwame Poku are destined for the top, just like Lane.

Paddy Lane transfer interest and Portsmouth contract details

Those standout figures are proof of why top flight clubs have already shown an interest in signing the frontman, and no doubt more will be knocking on the door when the summer comes around.

With three caps for the Northern Ireland International side already under his belt, the Halifax-born star has already proved he can compete with players on the highest level, and will no doubt have the craving to do so on a regular basis.

Whether the immediate future lies with Pompey is yet to be seen, with clubs challenging at the top of the Championship likely to be interested in a summer move for the tantalising talent, with his previously quoted £2 million price tag likely to have increased since 2022.

After signing a three-and-a-half-year deal when he joined the club last January, Lane’s contract at Fratton Park lasts until the summer of 2026, so his current side will have a big say in where his future lies.

But once the cream of the crop come calling it will be hard to keep hold of their star man, but a substantial return on their quarter of a million pound outlay will go some way to cushioning the blow once he’s out the door.