Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle receive transfer boost as Portsmouth make call | OneFootball

Portsmouth will be hopeful that the 2023/24 season can be a much better showing for the club than last season.

The League One side started the season poorly, which in the end cost Danny Cowley his job as manager.

So, now with John Mousinho in charge, supporters will hope that with a full pre-season and a strong summer transfer window, the club will be at the top end of the table.

The club has already been busy in the market, adding Will Norris, Gavin Whyte, Jack Sparkes, Ben Stevenson, and Conor Shaughnessy.

Portsmouth were hoping to add midfielder Tommy Leigh to that list, but that now seems unlikely as manager John Mousinho admits the club are being “priced out” of a deal.

What is Tommy Leigh's situation at Accrington Stanley?

The 23-year-old actually started his football career in the Portsmouth academy but was released at an early age and ended up dropping into non-league football.

He played for Bognor Regis before sealing a move to Accrington Stanley in 2021, where he scored eight goals in 28 appearances in his first season.

Then last season, Leigh, who can operate in midfield and in the forward area, scored 12 goals in 50 appearances for Stanley.

Accrington Stanley’s relegation to League Two and the fact the player has entered the final 12 months of his contract have meant the 23-year-old has attracted interest from teams above.

Which teams are interested in Tommy Leigh?

Portsmouth were the first side to express their interest in the Stanley player, and then they were joined by Championship duo Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle.

But it now seems that Portsmouth are out of the race after being quoted a fee of around £200,000 for the 23-year-old.

John Mousinho on Tommy Leigh interest

Mousinho has admitted that Leigh fits the profile that the club are looking for, a player who can play as a number 10 or a central midfielder.

But the club are being put off by the price mentioned and are now considering alternative options.

Mousinho told The News: “Tommy is still an option, but it just depends on finances.

“Probably, at this stage, he is out of the budget in terms of what Accrington will possibly be asking for. We are priced out, which is fine, they obviously value him as an asset.

“Tommy would fit that eight or 10 role quite nicely for us, hence we were interested in signing him in the first place.

“However, Accrington don’t have financial problems, they don’t need to sell, they would rather strengthen to come straight back up after relegation. And, at this moment in time, it’s a price we’re not looking to pay.”

Should Portsmouth continue their pursuit of Tommy Leigh?

Leigh would definitely be a very good signing for Portsmouth this summer, but that is a lot of money to pay for a player who is in League Two to move to a League One team.

Furthermore, Leigh is out of contract in 12 months, so while Mousinho clearly wants the player, they are doing the right thing by potentially walking away. Clubs in League One need to be wise with the money they have, and that could be a risky move for that amount of money.