Portsmouth boss reveals transfer target plan as attention turns to summer

The Blues boss has detailed the process the football operation will use to bring in players to drive the club forward on the pitch.

And Mousinho is confident the diligence of the approach will reap dividends moving forward - especially with squad planning leaving the existing group in a sturdy position.

He said: ‘The second the window finishes we’re looking towards the summer.

‘The list we put together, eventually when filtered down, will have three or four players we would definitely sign.

‘We then assign a value to those players, whether that’s a transfer value or wage value.

‘Some are free, some are on loan and some have transfer value.

‘Then we have to make sure we stick to that.‘If we then get beyond the fourth then unfortunately that’s where we are - we don’t go and force anything.

‘Now we don’t feel we have to with the squad.

‘If we were in a different place with the squad it could be different, but the transfer strategy and recruitment strategy is about making sure they are the right ones, at the right time for the right price.’

Mousinho boiled down on Pompey’s recruitment plan by highlighting the attacking department, and how identifying players in that area will work.

He explained two options in each position will be sought, with the Blues not being tied down on one particular type of player in each area.

Mousinho added: ‘If you take our front six by putting two players in every position across the front line, we want variety across the positions.

‘You don’t want one profile for one position - and that’s all you recruit.

‘You might do, but that’s not our strategy.

‘You want a bit of variety in games and from game to game.

‘That’s just the kind of flexibility that you need in this league to try to challenge.

‘There’s multiple profiles for the same position, or at least two for the same position.

‘With the front three, especially, that’s how we see things.’