Andy Cullen details Portsmouth loan strategy in transfer window - and warns of recruitment wait

Andy Cullen admits Pompey may again turn to loan signings to fill ‘some key positions’ in John Mousinho’s side.

And he expects the Blues will have to wait until the very end of the summer transfer window before clinching such prized targets.

Since Rich Hughes’ appointment as sporting director in October 2022, Pompey have substantially reduced expenditure on loan players, while generally raising the bar in terms of success.

The likes of Abu Kamara, Alex Robertson, Tino Anjorin, Rob Atkinson, Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden have impressed during Fratton Park stays over the last two years.

Indeed, the returns of Potts and Hayden to their parent clubs at the culmination of last season leaves a huge hole in the centre of the Blues’ midfield.

And although Pompey are searching for permanent additions, Cullen concedes they could again plug gaps in crucial positions with loan recruits.

‘It might be one of two of those may be loans’

He told The News: ‘There are obviously some key positions we still need to fill and, ideally, we would love those to be permanent, but it might be one of two of those may be loans.

‘We will always have loans - and we also want to invest in young talent, which is why we paid fees for Adrian Segecic this window and Hayden Matthews and Thomas Waddingham in the last window.

‘There was previously an overreliance on loans, which was more about the spending of a higher proportion of the budget on loans. The volume and number of loans aren’t necessarily a problem if you have the right sort of level and the right balance in terms of your squad.

‘That has been the strategy we have been operating with. We had loans last season, we used loans when we won the League One title, that doesn't change. Inevitably, we will also have loans this season.

‘I don’t know how many yet. If you look at our squad composition, we are not in the same situation as we were last year, in terms of having to bring in the same numbers. We also did contracts earlier in the year in the cases of Regan Poole, Colby Bishop and Terry Devlin.’

Sammy Silvera was Pompey’s first loan signing of last summer, joining from Middlesbrough just before the pre-season training camp in Croatia.

However, Potts (West Ham) and Mark O’Mahony (Brighton) arrived at the end of August, in the final days of the summer 2024 transfer window.

And loan business is again anticipated to be concluded late in the current transfer window, which ends on September 1.

Portsmouth expect loan business at end of transfer window

Cullen added: ‘It is going to be much later because of things like the European Under-21s Championship and Club World Cup.

‘What I have seen over the last 2-3 years is that Premier League teams now all go abroad for pre-season, particularly to the United States and Far East, and tend to take the whole squads with them, including the under-21s.

‘You can do all the talking, but you can’t actually sign the deal until later in the window when they return and have made the decisions about which players they want to stay and which they are prepared to let go.

‘That is what we saw with Freddie Potts last season.’

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