John Mousinho makes Alex Robertson claim as Portsmouth and Everton eye Man City man | OneFootball

Alex Robertson had a superb season on loan at Fratton Park last term and Pompey are keen on bringing him back

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho believes the club are in the "best possible position" to bring Alex Robertson back to Fratton Park following a successful loan spell.

The Manchester City loanee scored once and set up four goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season as Pompey secured promotion to the Championship by finishing top of League 1 with 97 points.

Robertson was a key figure in Portsmouth's midfield until a hamstring injury curtailed his season in January and Portsmouth are hopeful of bringing him back to PO4 for a second term.

But, according to Australian news outlet FTBL, the Championship newcomers face competition from Everton and several unnamed Championship and Premier League clubs, who are reportedly interested in the Australia international.

Mousinho, however, is confident Pompey can land Robertson, who is under contract with City for another 12 months, this summer.

Portsmouth keen to sign Alex Robertson

"I think so [Pompey could offer what Manchester City would want from a loan],' he told The Portsmouth News.

"From our point of view we’ve put ourselves in the best possible position we can. There’s nothing more we can do on that."

Reports in Australia earlier this week suggested Robertson's future is likely to be determined in the coming weeks, and that a permanent exit from Manchester City looks the more likely outcome.

But Mousinho expects uncertainty over the midfielder's future to last for a while longer.

"For Alex and Man City it will probably be one where we will wait until mid-to-late pre-season to see what their intentions are with Alex, and then we will go from there," he continued.

"It wouldn’t surprise me massively if Alex is a part of their first-team plans in pre-season and it’s a decision they make later on."

Robertson, who has won two caps for the Socceroos, did not join Portsmouth until August last season, but that did not stop him from hitting the ground running on the south coast.

Why another loan would benefit Alex Robertson

Speaking in an interview via FTBL, Australian national team assistant Rene Muelensteen said the Socceroos would watch the midfielder's next career move with interest: “We’re blessed with some top midfield talent and in Alex’s case he’s probably best suited in an advanced role.

“He was excellent at Portsmouth before his injury and has a lot of football ahead of him. We’re very keen to see how he goes next season - it’s important he starts well. Whether that’s at Portsmouth or elsewhere and of course we’re always watching very closely."

Robertson is way down the pecking order at City and while joining a Premier League club would obviously be appealing for him, he stands a considerably better chance to play regularly at Portsmouth than he would do at Everton.

The Australian clearly enjoyed his spell at Fratton Park and made a point of thanking the Pompey fans on social media at the end of the season, which bodes well for Portsmouth's chances of bringing him back on loan for another season.