Championship and Scottish clubs begin talks as Portsmouth 'miss deadline' to activate exlusive option to sign £2.5m winger
The deadline Pompey agreed with Santos in order to sign Gustavo Caballero for a reported £2.5m fee has supposedly passed
Pompey’s bid to renegotiate a fee for Gustavo Caballero appears to have cost them their exclusive transfer option on the Paraguayan.
January negotiations to bring the winger to Fratton Park on loan from Brazilian side Santos included a permanent transfer option for a fee believed to be in the region of £2.5m.
Blues boss John Mousinho admitted last month that the Blues would look to revisit that agreement in order to pay what they consider to be the true ‘market value’ for the 24-year-old this summer.
Yet that stance could see them ultimately miss out on the forward, who largely impressed at PO4 over the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
According to the player’s agent, Enzo Prono, the deadline to activate the exclusive clause with Santos has now passed.
And with talks already held with other Championship clubs and teams in Scotland, Pompey will now have to compete for his signature if they wish to retain his services on the south coast.
‘Gustavo enjoyed his time at Portsmouth’
Pompey are understood to remain in discussions with Santos and the player’s camp about a pemanent transfer of Caballero, who looks destined to go to this summer’s World Cup with Paraguay.
But speaking tp Football Insider, Prono said the Blues had missed their exclusive chance to sort a move for the player out.
‘It is true that Portsmouth have missed the deadline to activate the option to sign Gustavo permanently and that they are trying to renegotiate a possible deal,’ he said.
‘We are waiting to see what the outcome will be, but there is interest from other clubs and we have talked with clubs in the English Championship and in Scotland
‘Gustavo really enjoyed his time at Portsmouth and he adapted very well to the club and the area and he is thankful to his coach and team-mates for helping him with that.
‘The coach (Mousinho) was very important to Gustavo as he gave him a lot of confidence and that has helped him ahead of the World Cup with Paraguay.
‘We will keep all our options open and see what is best for Gustavo and his future.’
Caballero keen to remain in Europe
Caballero racked up 12 appearances for Pompey during the three months he spent with the club and quickly established himself as a Fratton favourite as he helped Pompey retain their Championship status for another year.
Unfortunately, the last time Blues supporters saw him play was during the 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on April 11. A groin injury prevented the winger from featuring in Pompey’s final five games.
Since then, Caballero has left these shores to return home to his native Paraguay.
And during his time back in his homeland, the forward admitted his ambition is to remain in European football.
When asked by Paraguayan news agency Ramiro Aranda Futbol Py about potential homesickness when he was in the UK and longing to return home, the winger said: ‘Being realistic, I don't have that mindset.
‘It's true that I think about the family, but I know that, in the end, I'm the head of the family. They trust me and are always keeping an eye on me, so I think that way.
‘Of course, one misses them, but that gets solved with a call or by communicating day to day.
‘I try to think a lot about what it's like to be here and to enjoy it, because it's something unique.
‘Always, since I was a kid, I dreamed of playing in Europe at a big club. I'm living that dream and enjoying it.’
For your next Pompey read: Portsmouth loanee's future in doubt following Jack Wilshere admission