Football League World
·13 October 2024
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·13 October 2024
We looked at some of the dream scenarios that Portsmouth may be hoping for in the January transfer window.
It has been an incredibly disappointing start to the season for Portsmouth in the Championship.
Portsmouth are back in the Championship for the first time since 2012 after winning the League One title last season, but they have found life in the second tier tough so far.
It was a busy summer for Pompey following promotion with 15 new signings arriving at Fratton Park, and it was always going to take time for the new-look team to gel, while John Mousinho's side faced a challenging fixture list in the opening weeks of the season.
However, Portsmouth have failed to win any of their first nine league games of the campaign, and they are 23rd in the table heading into the October international break, three points from safety.
Mousinho recently signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2028, so there is no imminent threat to his position, but he will know he needs to turn his side's fortunes around quickly.
Recruiting well in January is likely to be crucial to Pompey's survival prospects, and we looked at some of the dream scenarios that Mousinho may be hoping for during the winter window.
While the entire Portsmouth team have found it difficult in the Championship so far, it is fair to say the defence has particularly struggled.
Pompey have conceded an alarming 20 goals in their first nine league games of the season, and their defensive vulnerabilities were ruthlessly exposed during the recent 6-1 defeat at Stoke City.
The likes of Regan Poole, Tom McIntyre, Ryley Towler and Conor Shaughnessy all represent decent centre-back options for Portsmouth, but they are lacking in Championship experience, and one player they could target to solve that in January is Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess.
Burgess played an integral role for the Tractor Boys as they achieved back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in the last two seasons, but he is yet to feature for Kieran McKenna's side in the top flight this campaign, and he has been left out of the matchday squad for the past five league games.
With that in mind, Burgess seems likely to depart Portman Road in January, and Pompey should do everything possible to convince him to make the move to Fratton Park.
While Portsmouth are averaging one goal a game in the league so far this season, that may not be enough to keep them in the Championship, and Mousinho will be keen to strengthen in the attacking areas in January.
With a prolific striker likely to be out of reach financially for Pompey, they could look to bolster their options in the wide areas, and there would be few better signings than Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku.
Poku has been one of the standout performers in League One in recent years, and he is currently the joint-top scorer in the third tier after netting six goals in his first 10 league appearances for Posh this season, while he has also registered one assist.
The 23-year-old is out of contract at the Weston Homes Stadium this summer, so Peterborough may be forced to cash in on him in January to avoid losing him for free in the summer, and Portsmouth should make a move for the winger, but they would surely face competition from other Championship clubs.
If Portsmouth are to strengthen their squad in January, they may need to sell players in order to raise funds, and one player who could be set to move on is midfielder Tom Lowery.
Lowery joined Pompey from Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 2022, and he quickly became a fan favourite at Fratton Park, but he made just nine appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign last season.
The 26-year-old started in the 1-0 defeat to Millwall in the EFL Cup in August, but he is not part of Mousinho's plans for the Championship, and he has been left out of Portsmouth's 25-man squad list, meaning he is unable to feature until January.
Lowery's omission raises serious questions about his long-term future at the club, and while Mousinho is still said to be an admirer of the midfielder, his departure in January looks increasingly inevitable.
While it has been an underwhelming season for Portsmouth so far, one huge positive in recent weeks has been the form of striker Mark O'Mahony.
O'Mahony joined Pompey on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, and he has scored two goals in his first four appearances for the club, with both of those strikes coming in the last two games against Stoke and Oxford United.
, but they could face a battle to hold on to him if he maintains his form.
It is unclear whether Brighton have the option to recall O'Mahony, but should Pompey's struggles continue, they could look to send him to a club higher up the Championship table in January, and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler may be keen to bring the 19-year-old back to the Amex Stadium and give him a chance in the Premier League.
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