'Exciting raising of the bar' - Portsmouth's transfer policy outlined as important point on Blackpool and Bolton favourites is made

The profile of player Championship-bound Pompey will be targeting this summer won’t change. 

That’s the verdict of The News’ Blues correspondent Jordan Cross. But our Pompey writer insisted that doesn’t mean nothing changes in terms of recruitment. 

Of course it does - as the Fratton Park outfit can now attract a different calibre of player with the same attributes.

The Blues’ success under head coach John Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes has been built on a recruitment policy that sees Pompey sign exciting talent that is first-team ready and will only get better under their guidance.   

That has seen the likes of Paddy Lane, Kusini Yengi and Owen Moxon come in and shine at Fratton Park on permanent deals. It’s also why loanees -  including Abu Kamara and Alex Robertson - have arrived, only to play key roles for Pompey this term.

The club’s new Championship status will allow both Mousinho and Hughes to potentially seek fresh deals for the likes of Kamara and Robertson, whose reputations soared during their time at Fratton Park.

And the same principle applies to other targets during the forthcoming transfer window - with the League One title winners targeting exciting talent but of a higher spec.

Speaking in the latest episode of Pompey Talk, Cross explained. He said: ‘The bar has been raised (recruitment-wise) - but it’s an evolution of the same policy.

‘Pompey aren’t all of a sudden going to sign experienced, 30-year-old Premier League players, the same policy is still firmly in place - players who can be recruited now, recruited so they can be developed as assets and perform at the next level.

‘It slightly changed in January, and quite right, too, because they went into “let’s get over the line” mood, “let's get the players who we need to get up this season”. That’s why you saw Lee Evans come in. But now it’s definitely an exciting raising of the bar of that profile.

‘So, for example, (Blackpool’s) Karamoko Dembele is a great player you could speak about. He had a great loan out in League One this season, he made a great impact and if he goes out on loan again his next loan it’s going to be into the Championship - if he doesn’t get a move to the Prem.

‘So that’s now someone who is in Pompey’s sights who wouldn’t have been beforehand. I’ve used the example of Paris Maghoma at Bolton, too, who has come from Brentford and ripped it up in League One. He may even go back to Brentford and think he’s Premier League level, but, if not, he doesn’t come back to League One.

‘Alex Robertson - if he’d had a full season, where would he be? The sky's the limit for him. And as it is, despite half a season, his next loan is the Championship, when he goes out again.

‘If Pompey had not gone up, these players would have been “forget it”. Players will become available because of the standard they are at now.’