Karamoko Dembele signs: Portsmouth FC should secure these 4 shrewd transfers before August 30th | OneFootball

FLW outline four realistic signings Portsmouth should make before August's transfer deadline.

Highlights

Portsmouth are preparing for life back in the Championship after winning the League One title under John Mousinho.

Mousinho has a busy summer ahead of him as he prepares his Portsmouth squad for their first season in the Championship since 2012. It is an exciting time on the south coast at the beginning of next season, with Fratton Park full of optimism about what the Championship could entail for Portsmouth.

For a club of Pompey's size, they ideally need to be in the top two tiers of English football, but there is no doubt that Portsmouth will need to strengthen their squad in preparation to make the step-up. However, for many, Mousinho is the club's biggest asset currently.

During his first season as a head coach last year, his side ended the campaign in eighth, but the Portsmouth boss has displayed plenty of positive signs of progressing the club since his appointment midway through that season. His next challenge will be to cement their place in the Championship, with a view to competing for promotion to the top-flight in the long-term.

Their immediate short-term future is to stabilise and consolidate themselves as a Championship club, but this summer will be a test of their ambition, and keeping big stars will be as important to that as any arrivals at Fratton Park.

Although they will also require a degree of continuity in the playing squad, as well as some clever additions to the first-team, here, we have looked at some signings that they should look to make before transfer deadline day.

Alex Robertson

One of Portsmouth's main priorities this summer should be re-signing Alex Robertson on loan from Manchester City. The young midfielder spent the 2023/24 League One campaign on loan at Fratton Park and became a fan-favourite before his unfortunate season-ending injury.

It is a move that suits all parties, as a step-up to the Championship with a club he is familiar with will do Robertson's development the world of good, while providing Portsmouth with a player who needs to take his career to the next level by competing for senior game time in the second tier.

A loan may be the best plan of action again for the Australian international midfielder.

Karamoko Dembele

Another young, exciting addition who requires Championship game time is Karamoko Dembele. Portsmouth's attack next season requires speed and the 21-year-old playmaker is both quick and versatile.

He enjoyed a sublime season on loan at Blackpool in League One last season, and is likely to receive plenty of interest this summer. According to HITC, Everton, West Ham United, Fulham, Brentford, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Southampton, Leeds United, and Middlesbrough are all keeping tabs on Dembele ahead of the summer transfer window, so Pompey would face plenty of competition.

But Portsmouth's ability to offer Dembele regular game time could give them an advantage on loan, especially if Norwich City drag their heels with Abu Kamara, or intend to retain him this summer. It remains to be seen if Dembele's parent club Brest will wish to keep him around next season, but he previously struggled for regular football there, so a return to the EFL could suit him best.

His eight goals and 13 assists in League One last season suggest that he is capable of stepping up to the Championship, whilst his versatility of being able to operate as a winger or attacking midfielder, much like Callum Lang, would also be beneficial to Mousinho as well.

Another potential replacement for if Kamara does not return, is Kwame Poku. He is more of a like-for-like winger, as opposed to a versatile attacking player like Dembele, but would be able to have a similar impact.

Even with Jacob Murphy joining the club, further reinforcements could be needed in wide areas, and Pompey could look to a Peterborough United player to plug that gap. He scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in 47 appearances in all competitions during the regular season to help Posh reach the top six.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, meaning it will be tough for Portsmouth to win the race for Poku's signature ahead of other Championship sides, but he would be a very exciting signing if they are able to get a deal over the line.

Bosun Lawal

This season has seen Bosun Lawal take the greatest strides in his development, all the way into senior football, with the youngster impressing and growing as a player for Fleetwood Town on loan from Celtic, in spite of the club's own difficulties this term.

He originally signed as a centre-back under Scott Brown, but his best performances have come following his dismissal, with Charlie Adam turning him into a midfielder to great effect. Operating as a defensive or central midfield player in a three-man midfield, he has become one of the best ball-carrying midfielders in the division. Unsurprisingly, due to his sheer size and frame at 6'2", Lawal is an absolute powerhouse, and combines excellent strength with the ability to move the ball very quickly.

He could add even more quality to Mousinho's side alongside Marlon Pack, providing greater athleticism to the Portsmouth captain, while his positive loan spell at Fleetwood last campaign should tempt Celtic to see him climb to a higher level to test himself.