Portsmouth boss reveals exciting plan to attack overseas market as player chase continues

John Mousinho confirmed the Blues are looking away from the domestic market, as they hunt for value amid their summer player overhaul.

Pompey have already landed SIX players since the transfer window opened last Wednesday, with midfielder Ben Stevenson the latest through the door.

A change to the rules this summer presents opportunities away from these shores, with a relaxing of the points requirements of the international visa system.

That will make it easier to bring in talent which previously fell outside of the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria, with the move now approved by the Home Office.

Pompey have already brought in Northern Ireland teenager Terry Devlin, with the likes of Brentford, Sunderland and Derby headed off to land the exciting teenager.

Meanwhile, reports in Australia suggest attacker Kusini Yengi is of interest, with a Championship side and outfits in Austria and France also said to be keen.

Mousinho explained Pompey have obstacles to overcome when looking abroad, but it’s a process they are attacking with vigour this summer.

When asked if they’d sign overseas players, he said: ‘Definitely, depending on who we could bring in.

‘The markets we’re trying to operate in aren’t restricted to over here – there’s Northern Ireland, as we’ve demonstrated.

‘I think when you’re trying to get value through the door, you can pick up decent enough players away from these shores.

‘We’re not set up like a Chelsea at this moment with scouts all over Europe, so it’s slightly more difficult.

‘We can do a lot of video scouting, but seeing who’s available can be slightly more difficult.

‘But the recruitment department do work incredibly hard in certain foreign markets, so it’s certainly something we can consider.’

With the advent of video analysis, it is now easier than ever to look at players in greater depth when recruitment staff are doing their homework.

That makes it easier to react quickly to a name which surfaces, though Mousinho is clear the preference is still to watch a target in person.

Mousinho added: ‘A lot of times agents will call up and suggest players who are available. Thankfully these days it’s quite easy to just have a quick look at players.

‘Even it’s half a day to look though all the player’s footage, you do then get a pretty good build-up.

‘We do like to scout players live if we can, but it’s not always possible. That’s the preference, though, if you get to the back end of it to see a player live.’