Portsmouth boss reveals latest over summer transfer for overseas starlet

And the Blues are expected to shortly come to a decision over whether to make a move for the Irish starlet, after impressing on trial at Fratton Park.

Patton spent last week training with the club, as well making three appearances in warm-up outings against Gosport, Hawks and Bognor.

The Derry man got on the scoresheet during a strong showing in the 3-0 win at Westleigh Park on Friday night.

Now Pompey have to consider the pathway for the Northern Ireland under-19 international, with Mousinho stressing they would not have brought Patton in unless they were seriously weighing up a move for the striker.

POMPEY TALK IS BACK: Watch our transfer special ‘vodcast’ as we give the inside track on events from Fratton Park.

Mousinho said: ‘I think if you’d looked at the Hawks game, you wouldn’t have thought it was a 17-year-old playing in a men’s game.

‘We think the same about him from the Gosport game and also what he’s done in training, so we’re really pleased and positive about him.

‘He has given himself every chance.

‘The triallists we bring in, we don’t bring them in for the sake of it. We bring them in with a view to potentially signing them, whether that pans out or not.

‘It’s very difficult as a triallist, particularly when you’re now trying to get into a Championship squad.

‘But we’ll review that situation and then see where we go from there.’

Patton followed up a start where he missed some presentable chances against Gosport with a clinical piece of finishing in the second half against Hawks on Friday, before then getting a 28-minute runout against Bognor the following day.

Mousinho added: ‘It was a really good finish against Hawks and probably a difficult game to get into, as it was possession based in the first half.

‘Sometimes when it’s like that the nines can go by the wayside because they can just end up occupying centre-halves.

‘But I thought Sean did really well in the second half. The reason we’ve brought him to the football club on trial is because his finishing has looked excellent.

‘He’s looked really sharp in the box and done that in training as well. There’s plenty that Sean can improve in his game, but, for a 17-year-old, it’s a really promising start to his career.’