"We’ve seen the best" - West Brom claim made on John Swift as Portsmouth transfer deal mooted | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit believes it remains to be seen whether John Swift can return to his best form

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift is open to a return to boyhood club Portsmouth this summer, some 19 years after he departed for Chelsea.

According to The News, the boyhood Pompey fan is interested in returning to the South Coast following the expiration of his contract at the Hawthorns.

Swift also has interest from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States, but he is believed to be keen on heading back to the area he grew up in and returning to his first ever club. He was a part of Portsmouth's academy system before joining Chelsea as a youngster in 2006.

John Swift's ability to be Portsmouth star questioned from West Brom perspective

Football League World’s West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, believes Swift may struggle to hit his former heights with Pompey next term if he heads to Fratton Park.

“After the struggle he had with consistency during his time at Albion, I'd probably say a club in the bottom half, aiming to finish around mid-table is where Swift would be aiming for in the upcoming transfer window," Callum told FLW.

"I think the emotional aspect of it as well might be something to help get the best out of Swift.

"At Reading he was one of the main men there and is where he played his best football. We've not seen much of that the last few seasons at Albion.

“He had a good start to the 2023/24 season but after the first few weeks he got injured away at Birmingham City and was never able to reach those heights again. It looks like we’ve seen the best of John Swift.

“If it does end up being Portsmouth he goes to, it could end up being a good move but it’s reliant on how much he's willing to offer off the ball. That was a criticism that Albion fans had for him because he did fade out of games a lot.

“Of course, at Portsmouth he will have the ball less, so it'll be interesting to see how he adapts.”

John Swift can still offer something to Portsmouth if he returns to Fratton Park

Despite not featuring heavily for the Baggies last season, Swift would still be a solid addition for Pompey.

His versatility across the forward areas and experience in the second-tier would immediately increase the quality within Portsmouth’s camp, and on a free transfer, makes sense financially too.

According to The News, Swift would be willing to take a wage cut to join John Mousinho’s side, which would get rid of that stumbling block.

Over 100 Championship goal contributions is a return that speaks for itself, and even if not at his best anymore, Swift would be a valuable asset for Portsmouth next season.