Portsmouth boss' tantalising transfer admission as Blues prepare for 'busy' week in build-up to deadline day

The Blues are in the process of tying up their £1.2m switch for Hayden Matthews following the Australian’s arrival in England last week.

The highly-regarded central defender was at Fratton Park on Thursday for talks, before the club’s attention focused on Saturday’s trip to West Brom.

The News understands the switch is a formality - with the only outstanding issue now being the official Blues announcement of Matthews’ arrival.

Pompey are also pursuing attacking targets during the final 10 days of the window, namely players capable of performing in the three positions behind the centre-forward.

The transfer deadline is at 11pm on Monday, February 3 - yet, in the next week alone, Mousinho anticipates some encouraging developments.

He told The News: ‘There’s no news on Hayden Matthews. Maybe there won’t be arrivals before Monday, but I expect it to be a busy week.

‘I don’t know how many players there will be, but I think it will be busy.’

Pompey’s squad issues were again exposed in Saturday’s dismal 5-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

Mousinho opted to rest five of his players for The Hawthorns encounter, with Rob Atkinson, Josh Murphy, Jordan Williams, Callum Lang and Freddie Potts dropped to the bench.

Among the players he introduced to the starting XI was Terry Devlin, who was asked to play wide on the right, with Matt Ritchie moving over to the left wing.

All but one of the Irishman’s previous 10 starts this season had come at right-back - yet on Saturday he was pushed further forward onto the right flank.

With Paddy Lane out for the season, Sammy Silvera returning to Middlesbrough, and Harvey Blair omitted from the squad, Devlin was regarded as the only other option once Murphy was rested.

Tellingly, Murphy and Lang were subsequently both key players in the build-up to Thomas Waddingham’s stoppage-time consolation, with the pair introduced in the 69th minute.

Waddingham, who was also a substitute, marked his Blues debut with a goal, just days after being unveiled as the Blues’ latest transfer window signing.

He joined Rob Atkinson and Isaac Hayden as the arrivals so far this month, with Matthews and potentially others to be confirmed during the forthcoming week.