Portsmouth boss confirms plans over splashing clash as summer window heats up

The Blues boss confirmed that will be the next stage of his club’s recruitment process, with most of the best free agents now snapped up.

Mousinho spoke of his delight at landing the football’s department’s prime free agent targets in Jordan Williams and Josh Murphy, with Jordan Archer bolstering keeper options as an out-of-contract arrival.

But now the attention is moving towards bringing in contracted options, who will come at premium.

Those targets are now the focus, with loan players expected to surface towards the back end of the window.

That’s with under-21 talent at Premier League clubs wanted for pre-season tours and international players given time off, after their European Championships exertions.

It’s the prospect of cash being freed up to spend on the additions to make a difference for Pompey in the second tier which will excite fans, however.

Mousinho detailed the recruitment plan for the football department moving forward.

When asked if the best free agents are now gone, the Pompey boss said: ‘Mostly, there’s still a few floating about but most of the time the players have been picked up.

‘Players tend to want to be somewhere for the start of pre-season.

‘If there are players moving on and they are still at their club, it’s looking to be a loan or maybe a fee later in the window.

‘It’s starting to evolve and most of the frees are gone.

‘In our case, the two frees we had right at the top of our list in Josh Murphy and Jordan Williams, we managed to get done early.

‘We managed to get them in the building and are delighted with that. We managed to get that done - and the rest of the business we do now is probably going to be loans and fees.’