Portsmouth’s manager discusses the potential of losing their talented loan trio in January, with clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Norwich closely monitoring them.
John Mousinho expresses confidence that Portsmouth won’t have to part ways with their three loaned young talents in January. Although Alex Robertson, Tino Anjorin, and Abu Kamara are on season-long loan deals, their parent clubs have the option to recall them halfway through the season. This situation raises the possibility of the League One leaders losing any of these promising players, all of whom have made significant contributions at Fratton Park thus far.
Portsmouth has experienced unexpected departures of loan players, like Ben Thompson (Millwall), Andre Green (Aston Villa), and Josh Griffiths (West Brom), in previous January transfer windows. However, Mousinho insists that there have been no signs from Manchester City, Chelsea, or Norwich indicating their intent to recall the players.
Mousinho, Portsmouth’s head coach, told The News, “I’m very pleased with all three players, and while there might be interest in January, this is an excellent place for them to develop, continue learning, and have another successful half of the season. So far, there haven’t been any recall indications, and I’m confident in the current situation. We maintain good communication with all the clubs, so I’m sure we’d receive ample notice.”
He praised the individual performances of the loaned players, highlighting their contributions and potential. Mousinho also mentioned that having two players at Premier League clubs might reduce the likelihood of recalls. He expressed that if Chelsea and Manchester City decide to recall those two players and promote them to their first teams, it would be a positive outcome for Portsmouth, as it would reflect the success of their development. However, there hasn’t been any indication from Norwich regarding Abu’s potential recall.
Mousinho emphasized that some elements are beyond their control but mentioned having a contingency plan in place to ensure they are covered for every position. It is customary to include a January recall option in season-long loans, but in Toby Steward’s case, Portsmouth does not plan to activate it, as he is currently excelling at Gosport.
Mousinho concluded by explaining that the essence of a loan deal is to provide playing time and development opportunities, as seen with Toby Steward’s success at Gosport and the recall of Harvey Laidlaw due to limited playing time at his loan destination.
Leave a Reply