Portsmouth FC in talks to sign ex-Newcastle United star | OneFootball

Portsmouth are in talks with Paul Dummett after already sealing the signing of Matt Ritchie from Newcastle United this summer.

Paul Dummett is in talks with Portsmouth regarding a move to Fratton Park after leaving Premier League side Newcastle United this summer.

That's according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, who reports that the free agent is a potential target for Portsmouth, despite reported interest from other second tier sides.

Having come through the youth ranks with Newcastle, Dummett has spent the entirety of his senior career on the books of the Magpies, aside from two loans elsewhere shortly after stepping up to first-team football.

During that time, he made 213 first-team appearances in all competitions for the club, with his efforts also helping him to win five senior international caps for Wales.

However, the 32-year-old is now a free agent, having been released by Newcastle at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract.

Now though, it seems that Dummett will not be short of interest this summer, as he looks to continue his career elsewhere in the coming campaign.

Paul Dummett linked with Portsmouth switch after Newcastle release

Dummett's release was confirmed by the Magpies earlier in the summer, despite reports from The Athletic's Chris Waugh earlier int he summer stating that he had been kept around for a number of years for his leadership and presence within the dressing room.

He is not the only player to come under that bracket for Eddie Howe, with Matt Ritchie in a similar position during his many years at St. James' Park. Ritchie has since signed for Portsmouth this summer, and John Mousinho could be in line to make it a double switch from Newcastle.

Mokbel reports talks have taken place between Dummett and Pompey this summer, although reports from TEAMtalk have previously outlined Sheffield United's interest earlier in the summer.

Both Leeds and Ipswich Town were linked to the experienced not long ago, with Football Insider reporting in the final days of the winter window that both of the then promotion-pushing sides were looking to add some experience and depth to their defensive units, and that Dummett was one of their options ahead of the deadline.

Nothing materialised with any of those sides, and Portsmouth could instead add the versatile defender to their ranks ahead of the weekend's clash with Sunderland, who are Newcastle's great rivals.

Paul Dummett's experience and versatility

The 32-year-old can play comfortably as a left-back and a centre-back, but has only played in 23 top-flight matches over the last four seasons. An argument could be made that it is a concern, given some of those games were missed due to merely being far down a highly competitive pecking order, whilst others were due to injuries persisting.

However, some of his appearances have continued to be particularly impressive, including clean sheets in stellar displays in the EFL Cup at centre-back against both Manchester United and Manchester City in the last year. Dummett was a consistently reliable performer when called upon by Eddie Howe, often proving to be a very functional player for a team that had, at times, been very dysfunctional last season.