Every word John Mousinho has said on key Portsmouth transfer matters as deadline day begins: gallery
By Mark McMahon
Published 31st Jan 2023, 04:55 BST
John Mousinho’s Pompey arrival has coincided with the final days of January transfer window, which means he’s been thrown into the deep end in terms of the Blues’ recruitment process.
But the lateness of his switch from Oxford doesn’t mean he’s not up to speed on what business needs to be done ahead of tonight’s 11pm deadline.
Indeed, part of Mousinho’s interview process included a full audit on the squad he inherited from Danny Cowley, giving him a welcome heads up on what was waiting for him on his Fratton Park unveiling.
Mousinho: 'It will be very, very busy! We’ll continue to figure out what we need and I think I said it the other day, we’ll make sure anybody we bring in is the right people and for the long-term future of the football club. If we can mix that with a couple of bits n bobs that can help us in the short-term then that’s great as well. Regardless of what happens, the window closes at 11pm, and even if we think all our business is done, it’s well worth staying together just in case anything else pops up. There’s always the possibility that something might pop up late in the window.’Photo: Sarah Standing
Mousinho: ‘Rich is very good and has a terrific amount of experience. That will help me in this transfer window. So it’s leaning on him and Phil Boardman in that department. They are the experts in this. We will be aligned in terms of the players we want, and they know exactly what I want to add to the squad. Ultimately, though, they will be good decisions for Portsmouth and not a decision for the short term, just because I think it will be good for me.’Photo: Jason Brown
Mousinho: ‘If you look at the attributes of a centre-half, what we want would probably describe Virgil van Dijk. What we would want is someone who is quick, strong, aggressive, aerially dominant and can play as well. What we will probably end up with is getting those attributes across the board from two centre-halves. That will leave us in a better place. I’m saying that because we won’t rule out one profile over the other. We’ll look to have that mix, so it’s mixing all of those things or as many as you can - in a back line especially.’Photo: Jason Brown
Mousinho: ‘It looks like from our perspective that Bailey is probably going to stay up in Sunderland. I checked in on that Thursday and it looks a non-starter for us. I know about Bailey, he’s an excellent player and got Sunderland out of League One last year. When you are saying names like that, of course he would be a really solid addition to the squad.'Photo: Frank Reid