Portsmouth boss reveals player focus as transfer window reaches climax

The Pompey boss admitted he is in the market for a player who brings forward speed to the table ahead of deadline day.

Tuesday will see the window come to a close at 11pm, offering the new head coach his final chance to reshape his squad for the months ahead.

A central defender is on the 36-year-old’s shopping list, with Sean Raggett the only right-footed option in that department.

That will be an undoubted priority, but with Josh Koroma, Josh Griffiths and Michael Morrison leaving this month there is space for further arrivals under the EFL squad size restrictions.

Danny Cowley had made it clear he was looking for an attacking option with a turn of foot, before his sacking at the start of the month.

With sporting director, Rich Hughes, overseeing transfer activity, that requirement is still in place despite the managerial change.

When asked if he will look to add attacking pace, Mousinho said: ‘Yes, quite possibly.

‘Reeco (Hackett) showed that when he came off the bench and gave us something a bit different.

‘But we’re always looking to strengthen and pace is a commodity that is very precious in the game, if you can harness and get it right.

‘So yes we wouldn’t be shying away from that if it became a possibility.’

Mousinho is expecting a chaotic period between now and the close of the transfer window on Tuesday evening.

But the Pompey boss underlined he wants his club to be an island of calm in a sea of pandemonium, as clubs race to get their business done.

Mousinho feels the groundwork already put in leaves the Blues in a good place when it comes to completing business.

He acknowledged that activity could be in the offing right up until the 11pm transfer deadline.

Mousinho said: ‘I think we’ll be nice and calm.

‘We’ll try to be as calm as possible in the way we plan everything.

‘The planning for this transfer window was in place long before I walked into the building.

‘So we’ll definitely try to be sensible, we know we will be sensible.

‘If the targets we require come up we will get them, if not there’s no panic.

‘We will be up late on Tuesday if something pops up at the end of the window.’