DETAILED: Portsmouth boss outlines squad plans ahead of busy summer of transfer activity

The Blues boss has broken down his thinking over the group he wants to work with moving forward at Fratton Park. And he has forwarded the optimum number of players he feels will strike the right balance between having the necessary depth and being manageable.

Pompey currently have 11 senior players contracted for next term. The likes of Marlon Pack, Joe Morrell, Colby Bishop, Tom Lowery, Sean Raggett, Ryley Towler, Joe Rafferty and Paddy Lane make up that number.

Sporting director Richard Hughes explained this week, he believes there will need to be as many as 10 new faces added to that group. There is also the futures of the 13 players whose deals come to an end, and the five existing loanees to consider. Pompey have an option to extend Connor Ogilvie’s stay for example, while Luton loanee Matt Macey is a wanted man.

Mousinho wants to keep his players happy, but crucially have the depth to sustain a long campaign.

He said: ‘I think if you look in the realms of having two players in every position, an extra goalkeeper and maybe one over the top of that, that’s maybe where we’d want to get to. You have to have the balance between not having enough bodies and having too many, because ultimately you end up leaving good players out of the squad who are dissatisfied with that. Managing that can be difficult and you don’t want to do that to anyone’s career.

‘At the same time you want cover, because we’re going to get injuries next season and suspensions. So you do need that cover and ultimately having a strong squad is the be-all and end-all. The ideal would be two in every position, so with a keeper and another one it’s around and about 24, then you’d maybe add a couple of youngsters into that.’