LATEST: Pompey boss responds to talk of Manchester City move for starlet after Arsenal exit

And the Pompey boss told the Academy talent he still has a long way to go to make the grade as a footballer.

Mousinho praised the 16-year-old’s progress and acknowledged the talent he’s showcased in his time at Fratton Park, since arriving last summer after his release from Arsenal. But the Blues head coach stressed the attacking talent is a distance from becoming the finished article.

Talk of City interest emerged on Friday afternoon, with reports they are keen to take Mottoh into their flourishing Academy set-up. ousinho was doubtful about the validity of that suggestion, but felt it would give the player a boost to hear the noise.

The head coach made it clear he was not worried about the Premier League champions swooping in on the club’s young talent.

Mousinho said: ‘It’s nice for Kobi to hear his name linked with a club like that, I’m sure, but who knows where that source has come from, certainly nothing that the club has been involved in.

‘Kobi has plenty of work to do and has to keep his feet on the ground.

‘He deserved his place on the bench when we played Port Vale, he’s shown promise but we’ve got a long, long way to go with him as a 16-year-old. At this stage, though, some of those stories are a bit ridiculous. I don’t think that it’s anything to overly worry about.‘

Mottoh was given reward for his academy performances with a place on the bench against Port Vale last month, after a season in which he’s hit goals in the Hampshire Senior Cup against Andover New Street, Southampton and Bournemouth.

Mousinho underlined that for all the excitement about his potential, he’s yet to play a minute of competitive first-team football.

He added: ‘He’s shown a lot of promise and a lot of talent, but he hasn’t set foot on the pitch for the first team yet. He did well against Bournemouth, but what we want to make sure is that he does everything right – then he’ll have a really good chance of having a career.’