Portsmouth boss optimistic over Michael Eisner's financial plans for pivotal January transfer window

Midway through the Blues’ first season back in the Championship, Tornante have been challenged to loosen the purse strings to ensure they now remain there.

Mousinho’s men enter 2025 second from bottom and in urgent need of squad strengthening, as epitomised by the 3-0 defeat at Bristol City which so glaringly exposed their weaknesses.

Chairman Michael Eisner sanctioned a £1m spend in the previous January transfer window to successfully reinforce Pompey’s League One promotion push.

And their head coach revealed the struggling Blues have the financial green light from their owners to once again dig deep.

Mousinho told The News: ‘What I see happening is us coming out of the window stronger than we went into it, that has got to be the sole ambition. We want to be significantly stronger.

‘We know we have to improve because of the league position and because other sides around us are going to improve as well.

‘It’s all systems go, all focus is on making sure we come out on February 3 with a squad stronger than it is at present.

‘All indications so far are we’re going to get the backing (from the owners), whether that’s through fees or through bringing players on loan who might have significant loan fees or significant wages to cover.

‘We’re definitely willing to do that as a football club - and I know the owners have prioritised making sure we strengthen and bring in players who are going to affect us.

‘That happened last January and that was hugely important. We ended up bringing five players in Matt Macey, Owen Moxon, Callum Lang, Myles Peart-Harris and Tom McIntyre, all to come in and affect the side.

‘Matt (Macey) was probably the only one who we did bring in as a back-up to Will Norris, but the other four had an impact straight away.

‘Myles started the first game he was available, Callum was on straight away against Oxford United, Mox maybe took a few weeks to bed in, Tom played against Northampton as soon as he was available.

‘We were really willing to go for it and make sure we had players which affected the side - and we definitely need it again this year.’

Of last January’s arrivals, Lang, Moxon and McIntyre were purchased for transfer fees, Peart-Harris arrived on loan from Brentford, while Macey was a free transfer.

And with injuries devastating their title-winning squad during the second half of that season, that recruitment proved essential.

Mousinho added: ‘At times this season we’ve been slightly thin, mainly because of injuries more than anything else, when we’ve actually got a healthy squad size in terms of where we are with players.

‘Last January we brought five into a squad which we thought was okay in terms of numbers. Yet there were still times when we only named the 18 fit players we had due to injuries.

‘It’s probably going to be a similar situation this year, so we’ve got to make sure we strengthen appropriately.’