Portsmouth boss’ transfer business admission to excite faithful ahead of facing Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, QPR & Co

John Mousinho is plotting a busy summer of transfer business to ready Pompey for the Championship.

The Blues boss is anticipating a ‘big turnover’ of players to prepare his side for their return to the second tier, after a 12-year absence.

Pompey’s recruitment work is whirring away behind the scenes, ahead of the window opening for business on June 14.

The club released their retained list at the start of the month, which contained a few surprises over the players staying and going.

Ten players were released with four loan players returning to their parent clubs. Additionally, the futures of Joe Morrell and Zak Swanson remain in the balance, after Pompey chose not to take up 12-month options in their deals.

That means 18 players are currently contracted for next term, with talks continuing over new deals offered to Marlon Pack and Connor Ogilvie.

Mousinho is confident of both men staying at Fratton Park, but with nine subs on the bench in the Championship and at least two players wanted in every position it’s clear a lot of bodies are required.

Pompey have already been linked with a number of players, with Mousinho confirming Crystal Palace’s Jadan Raymond is of interest.

Meanwhile, his Palace team-mate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi would be wanted should he become available, with it a similar story for Blackpool loanee Karamoko Dembele.

Pompey brought in 14 new faces ahead of a memorable 2023-24 campaign, and Mousinho thinks the signs are it could be a similarly busy period this time around.

The challenge for the Blues will be to conduct that business while maintaining a squad harmony central to their title success.

Mousinho pointed out that was achieved last year among a busy period of activity, so sees no reason why it can’t be a similar story this summer.

When asked if he feels it will be a busy window, Mousinho said: ‘I think so. It won’t be quite as many as last year, but it will still be a big turnover.

‘We have to be careful about how that looks for the squad and making sure that they maintain that tight-knit group, but that was something we managed to achieve that last season in a pretty short time.’

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